Infection
by OrdinalDragoon
Summary: Several years ago, an explosion in a Japanese factory released a chemical into the air that turned the majority of the world into mindless monstrosities, hell bent on death and destruction. Now, joining a school that trains kids to become special black ops units, a ragtag group of misfits, criminals and future heroes must band together to protect the future and escape their past...
1. Chapter 1: The Broken City

**Paddington Station, London – 10:53 AM**

The sound of screeching metal filled Kieran' ears as the train slowly ground to a halt at the platform. He fought off a yawn as he turned to look outside the window. Sure enough, he could see people bustling about inside the busy station, running around with medical equipment or paperwork whilst injured people staggered about or sat on the station floor. Kieran then groaned quietly. His body still hurt from being hit with all that debris and the overuse of his quirk. He looked down, seeing the scratches on his arms still. The sound of the driver's voice soon came on the intercom and Kieran listened closely to what he had to say.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our destination which is London Paddington. Please disembark the train in an orderly and sensible fashion to allow us to get you to the medical area as soon as possible. Medical staff and Pro Heroes are outside waiting for you all to attend to your injuries. We here at Great Western Railway do sympathise for all those that have been affected by this terrible incident and offer our deepest consoles to everyone. Once again, thank you for your time and patience, and we do hope things will become better for you." With that, the intercom went dead. Heh, like hell things would become better. The world was going to shit and there was almost nothing anyone could do. All that mattered was one's own survival. Kieran quietly exited the train, following the stream of people that flowed steadily out of it. Many Pro Heroes were waiting outside for them and began to escort the injured to the medical corps which lied further in the station. Not where he wanted to go. Kieran didn't feel like mingling with others. He walked down the platform, noticing the sign for the toilets. He'd finish business there before heading outside and seeing what was going on around here.

Five minutes later and Kieran was now down in the toilets washing his face in the sink. He had finished his business and was now giving himself a good wash. God he longed for a shower, or a bath at least. His body probably smelt of burnt charcoal or something similar by now. He looked up in the mirror, still seeing the several cuts and marks on his face that would take an age to heal, specifically a bad looking burn underneath his left red eye. Finally running his hand through his messy brown hair, he decided it was best to get himself some new attire, specifically something that wouldn't get ruined problems arose again. The black shirt and brown cargo trousers he currently wore were almost in tatters, burnt and torn mostly. He'd only had them for two days before Bristol went to shit. Thankfully though, he still had the white jacket he'd taken from a rundown store a while back which had somehow stayed intact through all the shit that had happened, despite the burns here and there.

With a heavy sigh, Kieran yanked up the hood of the jacket and walked out the toilets, trying his best to avoid anyone he came into contact with. Following a crowd of people, Kieran' goal was to exit the station without being noticed. After that, he'd be free to do what ever he wanted without capturing the eyes of the authorities or Pro Heroes. Unfortunately for him, there seemed to be several Pro Heroes waiting at the entrance of the station, probably asking for identification and such before letting people outside. Great. But there seemed to be no other exits available, so Kieran had no choice. He followed the crowd until he reached the desks and soon found it was his turn to give his identity.

"Name please?" The pro asked. He was a large muscular man wearing a large black cloak that covered his body from the neck downwards. Underneath the cloak from what Kieran could see when the man raised his hands from out under it was a black sleeveless top and green cargo bottoms as well as what could be described as a yellow utility belt.

"Alex" Kieran simply replied. It was the first thing that came to his mind. Giving his identity was _a definite_ no go considering his past actions which the authorities somehow knew of.

"Last name to please" the pro pressed.

"Stone" Kieran continued. This was pretty much rinse and repeat at this point. He had already given a fake identity several times before this. So much so that it was almost natural now.

"Thank you very much," the pro said as he wrote down Kieran's fake details. "Are you here alone? Or are you accompanied by someone else?"

"Yes, I'm here with my aunt" Kieran lied. "She's back in the station in the toilets. I just wanted some fresh air."

"I see," the pro said as he continued to write down more. "Is it possible for you to wait here for her. We can't allow youngsters outside unless accompanied by an adult." Kieran's face gave a slight look of dismay.

"But sir, all I want is just some fresh air. I'm not trying to pull anything here" Kieran said, holding his hands up. He couldn't let this drag out. If the pro got wind of his identity, then he'd be in some real shit then. He was not in the mood for this.

"Come on Gaia, he's just a kid, let him go." Kieran whirled around to find the source of the voice behind him. The source was a woman probably in her late twenties with a tall and slightly well-built figure, wearing a typical prison officer uniform that consisted of a white buttoned shirt which hugged her large chest tightly as well as a black tie with matching black skirt and tights. The last additions to her costume was a black prison guard cap and a short-sleeved grey jacket.

"But Warden, we were specifically told not to let any youngsters out without adult supervision" Gaia replied. Madame Warden just pouted at this.

"Come on Gaia, he just wants some air" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Tell you what, if this kid worries you so much, I'll accompany him outside myself." Kieran groaned on the inside. He didn't care about whatever squabble these two previously had, it was obvious they'd had similar arguments like this before, he just wanted to leave.

"I suppose so. But if anything happens, I'll have to report it to the superiors" Gaia said.

"Does this mean I can go now?" Kieran deadpanned.

"Yep, come one then kid" Warden said, taking off with Kieran now following closely behind. It wasn't long before the pair were outside on the busy street. Many of the buildings had been set up into makeshift shops and hospitals for wounded. Several markets littered what was formerly a road, now just a crumpled pathway of dirt and tar. It seemed that despite everything, England's heart was still beating strong. "I'm sorry about Gaia," Warden said suddenly, dragging Kieran's attention away from the hustle and bustle around him. "He's a sucker for rules and regulations."

"Its…fine" Kieran managed to get out. "I can understand why though. With everything happening, rules are what separates society from total anarchy."

"Yeah. We've had a bit of trouble over the past few years cause of such disputes" Warden continued. "When the outbreak first started, it was total chaos. But after a while, we managed to secure an area of the city as a safe zone where life could continue as normal. Trouble is that some hooligans thought the rules didn't apply to them and made a huge mess. We ended up having to clear that up which left its mark on Gaia." Kieran honestly wanted to tell her to shut up. He didn't care about her sap story or anything else about her. He just wanted to go off on his own and do his own thing. But he couldn't with the pro watching over him now 24/7. He had to find a distraction, something to divert her attention so he could run. He just had to be wary of whatever Quirk she had. If she had a restraining quirk used for capturing (which is what Kieran assumed due to the guard uniform), then he'd be in trouble. His chance came sooner than expected when there were a bunch of raised voices over to his left. Both Kieran and Madame Warden looked over to see a pair of men shouting and yelling at each other, over what appeared to be a perfectly good burger, now a ruined mess, on the floor. "Wait here one second," Warden told him as she walked over to try and dissolve the current argument.

This was his chance! Slowly, Kieran turned around and began to walk off in the direction he'd come from. By this time, a crowd had begun to gather around the two men, so it shouldn't be too hard for Kieran to lose the pro. Now with that out of the way, Kieran could focus on himself. The plan was to stay in London for a short while before moving southwest to the coast. There, he planned to get a boat to France, giving him a wider range of places to go. England may have been home, but it was slowly being eaten up by the infection. The only places left in the country that was free of the infection was mostly the South and South-West, East and North-East. All the major population hubs such as Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool had all fallen. The disease had continued spreading from there, taking over a majority of the Midlands and the north as well as the west. It was now travelling South-East, hoping to snuff out the last remains of civilisation which was the capital itself. It didn't help that an outbreak in the South-East of the country has quarantined that area off now too. Luckily the capital seemed to be holding outs so far thanks to 'The Great Divide.' Kieran had no idea what this 'Great Divide' was, but it seemed to be keeping all the Nomu out of the safe zone which was a plus.

It was then that Kieran felt it. The ringing in his head. Why now? Why at a time like this? Kieran clutched his head as the world began to slowly fade away from around him. Kieran shut his eyes tight as the ringing soon became unbearable, sending waves of pain through his body.

And then it stopped.

When his eyes opened, the world was bleak and grey. Colour had been drained from everything, except for one thing. A brilliant orange glow emanated from all who were around him. He could see it now, a small orange flame, burning brightly in the chest of every human. Some were bright, while others were faded, almost changing to a darker colour. Something then caught his attention, and Kieran's heart almost leapt out of his chest. A colour he never wanted to see here.

GREY.

"You ok kid?" A voice said, a hand touching his shoulder. And suddenly the colour returned to the world. Kieran turned to the right slowly, seeing the confused look on Madame Warden's face. "Woah. What's with that face kid? You look like you've seen a ghost. You're almost pale" Warden said. She then touched his forehead gently. "And…hot? The hell? Do you want to go back to the station? You seem unwell."

"I'm…fine," Kieran said, gently brushing her hand away. "I just…remembered something." Madame Warden could tell whatever this was troubling to the teen.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently. "I know how you feel, I've had those moments too." Kieran wanted to laugh at the absurd amount of bullshit this Pro was spewing out her mouth. Like hell, she knew what he went through! She may have been a Pro, but what Kieran had seen over his relatively troubled life was utter hell for someone. Not to mention what he had done. Thankfully, a large explosion in the distance diverted their attention. Madame Warden looked up in alarm to see a huge pillar of smoke rising in the distance. A crowd of people suddenly came surging from nowhere, running past the pair, hoping to get to the safety of the train station. "Get back to the station! Now!" Madame Warden order as she took off running. Kieran watched as she rushed through the flow of people coming to the opposite direction, a thick trail of smoke now rising up close by. Raised voices could be heard before there was an almighty crack and a limp silhouette flew up high in the air. Kieran could see a trail of liquid flying from the silhouette's limp body as it soon came crashing down towards him. Blood. Kieran moved out of the way quickly as the remainder of the crowd parted to avoid getting hit with the body. The body hit the ground hard, causing a small crater to form. Even if someone had caught him, there was no possible way the Pro would have survived. Kieran looked at him now. A white jacket with matching top and trousers, all torn to shreds. His eyes were nothing but lifeless husks as blood continuously seeped out of various wounds that littered the Pro's body.

There was another crack and another Pro came skidding to a halt in front of Kieran. The Pro wore a grey skin tight, short sleeved bodysuit, with a black elbow pad on his right arm, as well as a pair of brown cargo shorts coming halfway down between his knees and hip, over the lower half of his bodysuit which was black in colour and went down to his black boots. Currently, the costume was a complete mess as well as the Pro, with it having several rips and tears in the body suit. The Pro was even worse off. His bare arms were coved with cuts, his left eye swollen up to the point where he couldn't see and his left arm was missing completely.

"It's ok" he croaked out as his clutched his arm. "We'll protect you." There was a roar and a flash of red flew out of the cloud of dust up ahead. The Pro raised his remaining arm and a deep blue barrier formed in front of him, blocking the attack. It was then Kieran finally got a good look at the monster. The Nomu was huge, probably 12 to 14 feet high with deep red skin and huge throbbing muscles. Attached to its back was a pair of humongous bat-like wings in order to carry its large weight. As well as that, two black horns curved up the sides of its, reminding Kieran of a devil. No, this thing was a devil. The thing made a noise as it increased the pressure on the shield which began to crack. "Everyone! Move back now!" The Pro called. He wasn't going to survive this, and Kieran knew it. Civilians turned and ran as with a final push, the shield cracked like glass and the monster's palm slammed into the pro, crushing his face into the ground. All that now remained was a messy, bloody pulp. The Nomu grunted as it turned towards Kieran, staring at him intensely with it's huge bulging eyes. Kieran felt his fists clench as he stared at the abomination. He could see it now, the soul becoming dimming until it almost became black.

"You vile disgusting creature" Kieran spat with venom. He had been building this up for several hours now. All he needed was a clear shot to the head and it would be finished with. The was a clang of metal and a pair of chains coiled around the Nomu. Kieran looked in surprise and then over to the source of the chains which were none other than Madame Warden.

"What are you doing kid?!" She called, grunting with every breath she took. It was taking all she had to retain the red monstrosity. "I told you to run! Dynamo!" There was another yell and out of nowhere, a man in a suit came flying in, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick straight into the Nomu's chest. A split second before contact, the chains wrapped around the Nomu was unravelled to allow the creature to be sent flying by the powerful kick, which it did. The man landed with a metallic thump and turned to Kieran with a confident look. He wore a simple black suit and tie with black slacks over a white shirt. He had messy black hair and bright sparkling green eyes. What was most interesting about his appearance was the fact that his shoes had some sort of black metal casing over them, presumably to give his kicks a little extra punch.

"You're ok now kid. The Pro's will handle this so just run back into the station now."

**Hero Name:**** Dynamo**

**Quirk**: **Legs**

_Dynamo's legs possess incredible physical strength, allowing him to jump long distances and deliver powerful kicks. However, he gets exhausted easily and will require frequent rests._

"Piece of advice; aim for the head" Kieran advised before going to turn around. There was a flicker of red and the Nomu was on top of him in an instant.

"_Shit! It's fast!"_ Kieran mentally cried as Dynamo called out to him. Chains suddenly locked around the Nomu's wrist while its palm was just inches away from Kieran's face. Dynamo tuned to see Madame Warden holding back the creature. Dynamo then sprang into action, kneeing the Nomu in the gut. It gave a strangled cough before tumbling backwards. At this point, more chains locked around the Nomu, this time around its neck. The Nomu fell to its knees as it gargled and coughed.

**Hero Name:**** Madame Warden**

**Quirk:**** Chains**

_Madame Warden's quirk allows her to transform any of her limbs into chains of various sizes. The more iron in her food, the larger and longer the chain. However, like most metal related quirks, then chains use iron in her body as fuel for creation._

"I got this!" Madame Warden cried. "Get the kid out of here!" She then bellowed. Wasting no time, Dynamo picked Kieran up bridal style and prepared to bounce away.

"You heard the lady, let's go," he said, leaping away with Kieran. Kieran could only look back and a rush of air soon overtook him, and they were soon flying through the air. There was then a shrill scream and a shrieking crack before silence was upon the pair. Dynamo turned to look back, seeing the bloodstained body of Madame Warden on the ground the Nomu nowhere in sight. A rush of air alerted Kieran as he looked up to see the creature dive bombing towards them.

"Above!" Was all Kieran yelled as Dynamo looked at him and then above to see the Nomu speeding towards them like a bullet. The pair were now falling as Dynamo tried to bring his knee up. If he could manage a kick, he'd be able to hold it off. The Nomu's fist collided with Dynamo's knee as then was a loud crack and Dynamo let out a shrill cry of pain in Kieran's ear as his leg was bent out of shape. The trio crashed into the ground with Dynamo letting go of Kieran. Kieran tumbled along the ground as he landed, earning a few bruises in the process. As the dust began to settle, Kieran could see the lifeless form of Dynamo's body further in the distance. He couldn't be dead? Could he? Another noise alerted him and Kieran's gaze moved over to the Nomu who stood there unscathed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me" Kieran grunted as the Nomu's flesh began to pulse wildly, enlarging its right arm to a tremendous size. Kieran got himself ready for yet another fight to the death. A wave of mud soon overtook the battlefield, swallowing up all that was in its path. Kieran looked over to see the Pro Hero from the station earlier, his hands on the ground and mud being churned up from the once solid ground.

"You ok kid?!" He called out.

**Hero Name:**** Gaia**

**Quirk:**** Mudwave**

_Similar to the quirk cement, mudflow allows Gaia to manipulate the earth around him, softening it into mud and controlling it. He can use it to create huge tidal waves and harden it, but he cannot shape or form it into objects._

Kieran couldn't believe it. Another Pro? Just how many more we're going to keep showing up. A cracking sound alerted the two and the Nomu burst out from the now hardened ground.

"Don't let it touch you!" Kieran called to Gaia. Gaia looked at him confused. "This thing has a bone breaking Quirk. Once it touches you, it'll snap your bones" Kieran explained.

"Thanks for the tip," Gaia said with a smile as the Nomu rushed him. Gaia placed both hands on the floor and once again churned up the ground into mud. A large and concentrated wave of mud was sent torrenting towards the Nomu which only held its enlarged arm in front of itself as a shield. The mud wave hit and hardened on impact, attempting to imprison the Nomu. Kieran could see that the attack was taking its toll on Gaia. Sweat began to trickle down his forehead as he kept bending the earth to his will. Seeing this as his opportunity, Kieran turned and ran. This thing was just too strong. As much as Kieran wanted to kill it himself, he couldn't do it. It was best to let the Pro's muck around with it. The Nomu noticed Kieran sprinting off. It gave a tremendous roar before its body swelled suddenly, breaking the hardened earth. Kieran looked back briefly to see the Nomu now free. Steeling himself, he sped up, determined to find sanctuary once more. With that done, the Nomu leapt up to avoid more of the flowing mud and looked over at Gaia who gave a look of shock at the creature's freedom. I'd have to deal with him first.

Before Gaia could react, the Nomu tore a chunk of earth out of the ground with it's enlarged hand and threw it towards Gaia. Gaia, too stunned to counterattack, only raised his hands and activated his quirk. Though it would hurt, by forming the earth into mud he would get to live to see another day. The second the flying earth made contact with Gaia's fingertips, it melted into mud, but the force of the impact still hit Gaia hard, throwing him back like a ragdoll. Now that the annoyance had been dealt with, the Nomu leapt up and flew at Kieran with its massive wings. Kieran only turned back just in time to see the Nomu's hand slam into him and pin him to the ground. Kieran immediately went into panic mode. This thing was going to crush him. Either with its ridiculous strength or quirk, it didn't matter. He had to do something. He looked deep into the Nomu's eyes, seeing nothing but emptiness. All remnants of the creature's humanity were gone, now just a lifeless killing machine. A rage boiled deep inside Kieran as he soon let it out.

"You sick, disgusting fucking nightmare of a creature!" He roared at the Nomu. "I hate you! I hate all of you!" He could feel himself getting hotter. "You all deserve to die and never exist!" His body began to glow. "So I'll kill you myself!" Kieran's body soon exploded in a brilliance of orange flame. The heat, too intense for the Nomu, exploded outwards in all directions as Gaia picked himself up off the ground. He felt goose bumps run along his arms as he stared at the massive pillar of fire rising high into the air. The Nomu in this time had backed off, its right arm having been burned to a crisp whilst Kieran stood the solemnly, the bright orange flames flickering around him like a protective aura. Kieran's eyes glowed brightly, with black outlines on them. His face was stern and unforgiving. The Nomu grunted and moved forwards while Kieran raised his right hand, a ball or orange flames flicking in it. Though he couldn't do ranged attacks, he'd still be able to put the fireball to good use.

It was then that a fist came flying out of nowhere, striking the Nomu in the face and sending it flying. Kieran gave a look of surprise before turning back into a glare. The fist's owner was a man presumably in his early twenties with messy black hair under a red cap with gold horns and a gold image in between them that had the silhouette of a horse. He wore a red jacket with various pockets under a black skin-tight top and thick white gloves. Strapped over his chest was a belt that held various canisters of some sort of liquid. He had black trousers with an orange line running down them and wore a visor over his face with some sort of white breathing tube attached to it.

"Fancy quirk you got there kid, but I'll take it from here now," he said with a smile. Kieran extinguished his flames and fell to his knee with a grunt. His skin stung like hell and his body was overheated. Too long and he might have fainted. The man took off a canister from the belt and opened it, drinking the liquid inside before reattaching it. There was a noise from the building and the man turned his attention back to the Nomu who was trapped in the wall. Kieran noticed that its face and neck had been heavily damaged, but the flesh was pulsing wildly, regenerating itself. "Red?" the hero muttered loud enough for Lucas to hear. "I thought the blacks were the only regenerative class?" The Nomu grunted and charged forwards out of the wall at the Pro. The Pro was too quick however and raised both hands before firing out a torrent of water at the monstrosity. Whilst it seemed to do some damage, the torrent only slowed the Nomu down as it continued to slowly struggle forwards against the stream. The Pro grunted, and the water intensified, exploding out of his palms. Just then the Nomu leapt in the air, ready to pounce on the Pro. The Pro stopped firing and corrected his aim, now aiming towards the falling creature. The Nomu thrust its palm forwards as the Pro fired, hoping to block the water. The Pro had already deduced its plan and instead, hit the Nomu square in the gut with a powerful blast of water. The Nomu hit the ground with a loud crash and didn't move at first.

Kieran stared amazed. The Pros who all fought the Nomu before had easily been swatted away like flies. Yet this pro managed to keep the Nomu on its toes, preparing for every attack and then performing a counter which hit hard, dealing lots of damage. By this time the Nomu was on its feet again and glaring at the Pro who held his hand out towards the Nomu, taunting it as if to say, 'come and get me'. The Nomu roared angrily (well Kieran really had no idea if it was angry or not since it was a mindless creature with no emotion) and charged towards the Pro. The pro smirked and charged forwards too. As the Nomu swiped at him with its palm, the Pro ducked and prepared to punch, letting his arm go rocketing forwards by firing water from his elbow. The blow was enough to make the Nomu stagger as the Pro's fist was wrenched deep inside its gut. The pro yelled and all of a sudden, the Nomu's body began to expand as water flowed through its insides at an alarming pace, rupturing as many vital organs as possible. The Pro removed his arm and stepped back while the Nomu fell to its knees. "Time to get this over with" he huffed as a jet of water fired from the soles of his shoes and the palms of his hands which were now facing downwards. The Pro soared high in the air before somersaulting to face downwards. The Pro then used his water to drop down at the Nomu at an alarming speed. "Take this you disgusting abomination!" He yelled, placing his hands forwards in front of him and clenching his fists. "Torpedo Impact!" The force of the impact sent a tremor through the ground as Kieran staggered slightly. Dust rose slowly from the crater in thick plumes as it slowly settled. The Pro gave a grunt as he slowly struggled to a stand, his fingers broken.

"Gaia, call for a medic! We've got injured!" The Pro yelled.

"O-of course Water Hose," Gaia said, slightly shaken. He reached for his utility belt, attempting to get his radio.

"Water…Hose?" Kieran muttered. His throat was dry. He needed water. Twenty-one-year-old Kota Izumi or rather 'Water Hose' looked at Kieran and smiled.

"Yes?" He asked.

"You're the Number 10 Hero from Japan, aren't you?" Kieran asked. He had heard of Water Hose before. The tragic single child of two deceased Pros who grew up a hard life, but soon rose to become one of Japan's most recognisable Hero's after training under both the Explosion Hero: Ground Zero and the Symbol of Peace himself. It was no wonder he took the tenth spot only after joining the rankings for just over a year. He definitely had the skills, skills which were shown clearly today.

"That's correct" Kota replied, glad that people from the other side of the world seemed to know who he was.

**Name:** **Kota Izumi**

**Hero Name: Water Hose**

**Quirk: Hydro Cannon**

_Kota's quirk allows him to freely release water from any part of his body thanks to a network of tubes that run through his body like veins. The tubes absorb water from Kota's body and then redirect it through his body according to Kota's wishes. This water can then be fired out of his body from his skin via small pores. The water can be fired at any pressure, but Kota must constantly replenish his fluid levels to stay hydrated._

**(A.N: Taking some creative liberties with Kota's quirk here since he hasn't shown up much in the manga and has hardly used it)  
**

"Are you ok though?" Kota asked concerned. Kieran was now on both knees and panting heavily whilst sweat dripped from his forehead. There was a rumble and the Nomu then lumbered out of the crater much to the shock of all present. It's looked completely pissed as half of its face had been torn off from the last attack, the flesh pulsing as it tried to regenerate, but could not for some reason. That, and its arm was completely busted too, flopping around as it moved. Kota growled in anger as the Nomu staggered towards him. It was just one Nomu they had said, he wouldn't need backup they had said. "Gaia! Where's the backup?! He roared. This was bad. This was really fucking bad. The remaining Pro's here were currently out of commission, his arms were fucked and the kid they'd been trying to rescue now seemingly couldn't move.

"Backup's on its way! Gaia called as he slammed his palms into the ground, sending a wave of mud surging towards the Nomu. Kota bent his arms and aimed his elbows at the Nomu, firing a stream of water at the creature that pushed him back. Though harder to control than using his hands, firing water out his elbows was the next best thing. Unfortunately, the Nomu sored high into the air using its wings, avoiding the combo attack and charging at straight at Kota. Poor Kota could only brace as he was impacted by the Nomu, being dragged along the ground by the creature several metres before coming to a stop with it resting on top of him. Kota could see the monster's horns glistening in the sun and he knew what was about to unfold. But just before the Nomu could strike it became unbearably warm. No scratch that, Kota felt like he was lying on the surface of the sun as he began to sweat immediately. The Nomu's head was soon overtaken by a stream of fire, incinerating it completely. Kota stared in absolute shock as the Nomu released its grip from him and clutched it's now burning head. It screamed as the flames intensified, growing larger in size. Kota squirmed out from underneath and saw that clutching the back of the Nomu's head was a flaming hand that burned a brilliant orange like the sunset. A hand that belonged to Kieran, who stood there silent and unforgiving. The Nomu screamed as flames licked it's head, piercing it's torn head like a thousand white-hot needles before stopped briefly as the Nomu fell to its knees, it's back towards Kieran.

"Always aim for the head," Kieran said coldly as he touched the Nomu's head once again, this time igniting the entire body. The Nomu's screams of agony echoed through the city block one more as slowly its body was burnt to a crisp. Kieran looked back at Kieran, seeing his eyes, those cold unforgiving red eyes which burned with a hatred brighter than a supernova. It was then that Kota realised who he was, wanting to smack himself for not realising it earlier. The cremation continued on for a short while longer before Kieran removed his hand and the flames were extinguished. The Nomu's body, now a charred, stiff husk, fell to the ground with smoke hissing off it's now fried. The last thing Kieran saw was Kota try and move towards him before the ground came rushing at him and Kieran let the sweet feeling of sleep take over.

* * *

**Ok then. I really wanted to update one of my other stories, but I decided to get this little idea out of my head because it's been stuck in there for so long. I actually wrote the first half up to Gaia's appearance ages ago and then left it in limbo. The basic concept is MHA + Zombie apocalypse except all the zombies are replaced with Nomu. And I know Nomu don't do anything on their own and only follow orders but let's just pretend they're like zombies in this, where they eat, wander around, and kill anything. Also, if you couldn't tell, this is going to be set in the future of MHA due to the appearance of an aged-up Kota. I like to think that when Kota becomes a hero, he trains under Katsuki since their quirks can be applied in similar ways. In fact, Kota's super move in this chapter is based on Katsuki's Howitzer Impact as they both propel themselves into people using their Quirks, the only difference being Katsuki causes a massive explosion while Kota just hits things.**

**Speaking of Kota, I am going to be taking creative liberties with his quirk since he's hardly been shown at all in the series and it hasn't been explained at all except for the fact that he creates water. But how though and can he only shoot it from his hands? Also, Kota isn't the only aged up Hero appearing, more will follow suit including one next chapter who will fix poor Kota's fingers. As for the Nomu. I got the idea from watching Endeavour's fight against the Hosu Nomus. I decided to mix the pair of them together and give it a bit of individuality. As a little hint, this Nomu is special compared to others which will be explained in more detail in a later chapter. Another little note, Kieran was originally going to have a completely different quirk called Burst which lets him store and release energy, but the idea was scrapped for this fire quirk.**

**Anyway, that's about it from me for now. I do hope you all enjoyed the start of this. I'm not really used to writing combat scenes as evident from this chapter and they are a pain to write. But if you did like this chapter, then leave a review why and I'll see you all in the next update!**


	2. Chapter 2: Opportunities and War

**Corusan District, Musutafu – 17:37 PM**

Despite the streets being swarmed with fire a black messy-haired boy with brilliantly glowing green eyes ran towards the source of the blaze as opposed to the crowd of scared civilians who were running in the opposite direction. Why was he running again? Oh yeah, Todoroki. Damn that guy for running off like that. Shin couldn't even begin to count the number of times the pair had gotten into trouble with the Pros for getting in the way of the Nomu fights. Shin hated those creatures as much as Todoroki did, but even he knew that they were no match for those monstrosities. What the hell were a Quirkless kid and a walking volcano going to do anyway? Shin's attire was simple, consisting of a black racing jacked over a plain white t-shirt with blue jeans and white trainers with a space-themed design. He took a sharp left down an alleyway, narrowly missing a bunch of falling rubble from the nearby building before he reached an open street engulfed by flames that didn't seem likely to stop any time soon.

"URAVITY!" A voice yelled in horror as Shin let out a gasp, watching the body of his sister in law come flying out the flames and towards him. Her hair was a mess and her helmet was missing. Additionally, her pink and black bodysuit was ripped and torn in several places, most of the tears resembling claw marks

"Release!" The female Pro yelled, closing her fingers together and digging her wide pink boots into the ground to gain footing. It was then she noticed the young boy standing near her. "Shin?! What the hell are you doing here?!" She cried out angrily.

"Todoroki!" Shin exclaimed in repose. "He ran off down here and I have no idea where he went!"

"Uravity! Watch out!" The same voice from earlier called out. Ochako looked in shock as the Nomu she had been fighting sprinted out of the fire like a bat out of hell, eager to sink its claws into her flesh. It was a Black class Nomu that was a mirror image of the one she and her former classmates had been attacked by in their first year at U.A, aside from the humongous claws it possessed. Thinking quickly, Ochako touched Shin, activating her Quirk on him before on herself. The pair rose quickly into the air as the Nomu swiped at them, missing by a hair. The Nomu turned quickly and leapt up at them, Ochako cursing under her breath as she had forgotten how high the monster could leap. Before it could touch them, however, a well-timed explosion from Katsuki Bakugou forced it back on the ground as Ochako released her Quirk, catching Shin in her arms and dropping safely to the ground.

**Name: **Ochako Uraraka

**Hero Name**: Uravity

**Quirk:** Zero Gravity

_By touching objects with the pads on the ends of her fingers, Ochako can nullify the gravitational pull on that object, making it weightless. She can even use it to float herself! However, if she exceeds her Quirk's weight limit or uses it on herself for too long, Ochako will suffer from nausea. To deactivate her Quirk, Ochako simply touches the pads on her fingers together._

"What the fuck is the brat doing here?!" Katsuki exclaimed in frustration. The Explosion Hero was covered head to toe in a thick layer of sweat that had built up over the past fifteen minutes. Like Ochako, his fully black costume was littered with claw marks and one of his grenade bracers was missing. The costume was a slightly altered version of his winter costume with it being a large jacket that had a high collar and was as black as the night but still contained the signature orange 'X' across the middle. Upon realising the popularity of his winter costume, Katsuki had spoken to Hatsume Industries to have his summer costume altered to look like his winter one. The end result was another copy of his winter costume although with some slight differences. The jacket was thinner than his winter one so he wouldn't overheat, and the sleeves could be rolled up his arm from the end of his grenade bracer. However, his grenade bracers had to be reduced slightly in size so Katsuki wouldn't tire out as easily running with them, though that was never really a problem. Katsuki still had his normal summer costume, but it was only worn in the summer. This new costume was worn in both spring and autumn before changing to his winter version. Today, however, the suit was causing havoc with Katsuki as the cooling system in the jacket had failed and Katsuki had to deal with wearing a sweat-filled jacket in the middle of all this fire.

"Kasai ran off and Shin went after him!" Ochako replied. A strangled yell escaped Katsuki's mouth as he ground his teeth together. Just what he needed. Not only was he a ticking time bomb right now due to the absurd amount of fire around him, but now the Todoroki brat was missing _again_.

"Uravity, help me lead the Nomu away from here," Katsuki said, his hands crackling with a series of mini explosions. Ochako looked at her partner and was about to ask why when Katsuki answered for her. "I want to use maximum firepower on this fucker, but the damn fire is in the way. If I use an explosion too big, I'll blow myself up."

"Got it," Ochako said, nodding in understanding. The Nomu in this time had freed itself from the rubble that Katsuki's explosion had buried it in and charged once again.

"Get back damn it!" Katsuki yelled as he held out one of his hands while forming the other into a circle. Ochako understood the order immediately and used her Quirk to move herself and Shin out of the blast zone. "AP Shot: Auto-Cannon!" Katsuki placed his circled hand onto his palm and fired a barrage of concentrated explosions at the monstrosity whose assault was slowed slightly, but not enough. Katsuki clicked his tongue in annoyance as he blasted himself into the air as the Nomu stumbled, dazed and burnt, past him. Katsuki then launched himself back in front of the Nomu and unleashed a small explosion in its face before launching over it. The Nomu, now frustrated, charged at Katsuki who launched himself up in the air once more. The Nomu looked up briefly as Katsuki flipped himself around, placing his hands together. "Stun Grenade!" A burst of light enveloped the area as Katsuki let loose his next super move, blinding the Nomu. The creature rubbed its eyes before looking up, directly at Ochako who floated above him various bits of debris surrounding her.

"Comet Shower!" The various bits debris rained down at the Nomu who leapt out of the way at the last second. Cars, vending machines, stone, almost anything Ochako could grab her hands on had been gathered up in order to cause a large enough meteor shower that would hopefully bury the Nomu in what was her original plan before Katsuki arrived. Instead, it was now being used to guide the stumbling creature to another street where there was less fire, so Katsuki could finish it off. Another vending machine dropped in front of the Nomu who jumped back, struggling to defend itself before being pushed back by another powerful explosion from Katsuki. By now, the trio had reached an empty street where the flames of the great fire flickered behind them. Katsuki landed after just propelling himself towards the street. He grinned as he brought his hands up, steam hissing from his palms.

"Alright you bastard, prepare to riot in hell," Katsuki said sinisterly as he thrust his hands back quickly, launching himself towards the Nomu. The creature roared and trust its right palm at him, a black spear-like object shooting out at Katsuki like a lightning bolt. However, thanks to his inhuman reaction time, Katsuki blasted himself out of the attack's range and back at the Nomu, reading his newest attack that he had added to his arsenal. Katsuki dug his feet into the ground to get a good enough footing as he landed and trusted his heated palms into the Nomu. "Maximum Firepower: Megaton Cannon!" The street lit up like the sun itself as Bakugou unleashed all his pent-up rage and sweat against the monster. Ochako and Shin covered their eyes from the blinding flash as the Nomu was burnt to a crisp by the explosion. A powerful shockwave tore through the ground as Shin held on tight to Ochako to stabilise himself.

"Oh my god." Shin couldn't help but let his jaw drop at the sight of the street before him. The overturned and crashed cars that littered the street had been reduced to molten metal while the ground below them had been churned up, leaving a large crater whilst the buildings above were covered with scorch marks. Katsuki exhaled before doubling over in pain. Whilst he had one bracer to slightly nullify the recoil on one arm, the other wasn't so lucky and was now throbbing in pain. Katsuki even thought his arm might be broken.

**Name:** Katsuki Bakugou

**Hero Name:** Ground Zero

**Quirk:** Explosion

_Born from a fusion of his parent's Quirks, Explosion causes Katsuki's sweat to consist of a nitroglycerin-like substance that Katsuki can detonate from his palms to generate explosions of various sizes. Smaller explosions can be used to propel himself into the air while larger ones are used to attack foes. The explosions do cause recoil damage however, with larger ones dislocating or breaking his arms and Katsuki must be careful when using his Quirk in a highly flammable area. _

Using his uninjured hand, Katsuki wiped the sweat from his forehead as Ochako ran over to his aid.

"Ground Zero! Are ok?!" She squeaked.

"Do I fucking look ok to you Round Face?!" Katsuki snapped angrily as another wave of pain ran up his arm.

_"He's definitely angry alright,"_ Ochako thought to herself as she helped Katsuki on his feet. During work, people could tell if Katsuki was pissed off when he resorted to using nicknames instead of their titles. Shin had now run over and wrapped Katsuki's limp arm around his neck to try and help. This was not a good idea however as Katsuki winced in pain before cursing loudly. He then glared angrily at Shin with rage-induced eyes.

"Oi brat! I thought I told you to piss off already!" He yelled. Shin was about to reply when a sickening moan filled the air. The trio turned and was greeted with the sight of a Yellow Nomu with large spike-like appendages growing from its body and claws which were far too long for its hands.

"N-no, I thought there was only six!" Ochako cried out. Nejire-chan had informed her that only six had managed to get through the Divide, three Black Class, two White Class and one High End. Just how many more had broken in? She removed Katsuki's arm from around her neck as he leant on Shin. "Shin, I need you to look after Ground Zero for a while," Ochako said seriously as she got ready for battle. All she had to do was make the Nomu float and they'd be fine. Ochako stepped forward and the Nomu charged at them, letting out a disgusting noise between a cry and a moan. Ochako prepared herself for the worst. Yellows always had multiple body augmentation Quirks, so anything was possible. Before she could make a move, a brilliant torrent of flames overtook the battlefield, incinerating the Nomu. Shin's heart leapt at the sight and as much as he wanted those flames to be Todoroki's, he knew they belonged to the wrong one.

Kasai's flames weren't this big

The Nomu let out a horrifying high-pitched screech before falling to the ground as a charred mess of burnt flesh. Ochako stared in shock as the owner of the blue flames stepped forward, the distinct burns on his body easily distinguishable from his scary appearance.

"You know, an old fart once told me that carbonised cells can't regenerate," the newcomer said, his voice quiet and soft. He wore a large black coat with two metal cuffs on the elbows and white stitching on the shoulders. This was over a simple plain white t-shirt and dark trousers with black boots. Similar to his fire, his eyes were turquoise in colour and his black hair was spiked up around his head while several piercings covered his face.

"Oi Patchwork! You're late!" Katsuki huffed in annoyance. Toya Todoroki, or rather Dabi, smiled.

"You know, I do have a name. I'd be nice if you can actually remember it for once King Explodo-Kills, or was is Warhead?" Dabi teased.

"It's Ground Zero" Katsuki growled angrily through gritted teeth. Over the course of his career, Katsuki had changed names multiple times. King Explosion Murder still wasn't allowed for some reason, but as the Number 1 Hero, Katsuki had to pick a name and stick with it. Thankfully, Ochako came up with the perfect one: Ground Zero.

"Whatever" Dabi replied, now uninterested. He then noticed Shin holding onto Katsuki for support. "What are you doing here kid? Don't tell me you're trying to start trouble again?" He asked.

"It's Todoroki. He went off this way and I followed him to try and bring him back" Shin protested. Dabi stiffened at this.

"Which way?" He said in a cold voice.

"I-I'm not sure" Shin stuttered in response. He could feel it. The immense pressure of Dabi's anger. He bet even Ochako and Katsuki felt it too. Dabi was not the sort of Pro you wanted to piss off. "There was so much fire and I lost him."

"That boy is going to get it this time" Dabi scowled, fists clenching. He then turned to Ochako. "Uravity? How many Nomu broke through the Divide? Apart from the one I just took out, I've dealt with two so far."

"I'm not exactly sure" Ochacko answered. "I was informed that there were six that broke out, three Black Class, two White Class and one High-End Class." She then frowned. "But now there may be more that got through before Nejire-Chan could survey them, let alone another hole, heaven forbid!" Dabi nodded at the new information. The two he had dealt with prior had been the mentioned White Class Nomu, small fry compared to the Blacks. And now there was word of a High-End Class? Damn, they were going to have their hands full tonight.

"Has the hole been patched?" He asked. Ochako nodded in response.

"Yes, Cementoss was drafted in immediately to the scene when the breakthrough occurred." Dabi nodded and his mind began to formulate a plan. Though he had been a villain for the latter half of his youth, Dabi had managed to make a surprisingly good turn around. One moment he was sitting in prison for his crimes, the next moment he's a Pro Hero sitting comfortably in the top ten ranked Pros. While he had committed some terrible crimes in the past, one couldn't forget that it was Dabi himself who took down the entirety of the League of Villains, aside from their leader of course which funnily enough was the one Dabi was after in the first place. Although, one could expect quite a rapid change in sides after watching your younger brother have half his face disintegrated. Doctors said it would be a miracle if he survived, which he did, at a price. Katsuki got shivers from that dark day. The amount of fire that engulfed the building that night…it was just absurd. It was said the flames could be seen from the other side of the city. Still, thanks to Dabi's following actions, the rest of the League and all its associates were locked up for good. And Dabi? Several years of jail time and rehabilitation. But all's well that ends well.

"Uravity, take Ground Zero to the first aid zone. It's located just outside the shopping district a few blocks away from here, you can't miss it. As for me, I'm taking the kid with me to find Kasai and then returning. After that, I and Shockwave are going to hunt for this High-End Nomu" Dabi explained.

"Wha? You can just take Shin with you! He'll get hurt, he's just a civilian!" Ochako said in shock. Why hell would Dabi suggest something like that.

"Round Face is right" Katsuki agreed. "As annoying as he is, I don't want to see the brat getting hurt."

"Relax," Dabi said as calm as ever. "He was the last person to see Kasai so I need his help in finding him. Besides, I won't let a single Nomu touch him, I promise." Ochako stared intensely at Dabi's face. No longer was it the chilled laidback look it normally gave off, but a fiercely determined glare that asked her to trust him. At last Ochako gave in and sighed heavily.

"Fine. But it's Shin's choice to decide" she said, turning to the boy.

"Yeah, I'll go," Shin said. "I came out here looking for Todoroki anyway, and I'm not leaving without him." Dabi smiled as Shin then handed Katsuki over to Ochacko who used her Quirk on him to make him lighter. She had learnt that the best way for her to transport injured was to lighten them and then proceed to carry them. With that, Ochako could cover much more ground quickly.

"If he comes back with so much as a scratch, Inko will kill me," Ochako said, slightly afraid at the thought of facing an overprotective Inko Midoriya. She didn't need too missing sons.

"You have nothing to worry about," Dabi said reassuringly.

* * *

Kasai was not having a nice time, to say the least. The white-haired boy's arm's hurt like hell, but he pressed on, determined to outdo his opponents. Kasai himself was almost like a splitting image of his father with the same turquoise eyes and spiked out hair, except it was white like snow. He wore nothing but a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans just like his friend. His opponents were, in fact, two Black Class Nomu with an absurd amount of brute strength. The first of the two monsters was absolutely massive due to a muscle augmentation quirk that caused its body to swell up to an incredible size of almost ten feet tall. Along with its humungous size was a whirring power drill in place of its right arm. A drill that nearly cost Kasai his own arm. However, the creature did seem to have a downside to it's increased muscle mass as the lower half of its body was relatively short, having two short stumpy legs to hold the weight of its massive torso. Along with that, the Nomu appeared to have what seemed to be a rhino's horn sticking out of it's exposed brain between its four eyes. The second Nomu was slightly shorter than the first, having the body of a centaur as below its waist was that of a horse's body, the fur being pitch black. Additionally, it had no eyes. It stood there silent and unmoving. It creeped Kasai out with the way it made no noise and waited for his attack. The Centaur Nomu extended its arm and a black pole formed in front of its hand which it promptly grabbed onto. The battle was beginning again.

The Muscle Nomu moved first, charging directly at Kasai. Blue flames erupted from Kasai's hands and forehead, forming a crown-like shape as he prepared to fight. The fire licked at Kasai's skin as he slowly cooked himself alive. But he had to be strong. He wouldn't show weakness in front of the enemy. Grandfather never would. The Nomu threw a left hook which Kasai ducked under and shot a stream of continuous flames at the Nomu who grunted in pain but didn't falter. It's right arm arched back and then thrust forward, drill whirring into life with the intent to shred Kasai's face to bits. A jet of flames burst forth from the soles of Kasai's bare feet, propelling him out of the monster's attack, and right into the path of the Centaur Nomu. He'd fucked up now. The shorter Nomu thrust it's pole forward like a lance, striking Kasai in the shoulder and digging through his flesh. The sixteen-year-old screamed in agony as the pole ground through his shoulder joint and through the skin on the other side of his shoulder. The Nomu then tossed the metal pole, sending the attached Kasai flying as the pole slipped out of his shoulder. Kasai tumbled along the ground, each impact with the asphalt sending a jolt of unrelenting pain coursing through his arm. It was unbearable. Kasai soon came to a stop after hitting a solid wall of a nearby building, slumping against it. A warm sensation trickled down his arm as blood escaped from the horrible wound on his shoulder. Kasai raised his head slightly, seeing the Muscular Nomu's flesh pulsating wildly where it had been burnt. It was regenerating already.

The Centaur Nomu strode over slowly, coming to a stop in front of Kasai. It said nothing as it raised the bloodstained pole, this time aiming for Kasai's head. Kasai just stared at the silent creature, no fear in his eyes but vile anger that burned hotter than his Grandfather's Hellflame. A sudden rush of blue flames overtook the Nomu and finally, the creature let out a noise. A scream. One of those ear-piercing screams that shook a person's very soul. The creature screamed and screamed until at last, it collapsed as nothing but a burnt mess of what it once was. The four eyes of the Muscular Nomu turned to find its assailant, only to get the rest of its head incinerated by a stream of the same blue flames. Kasai turned his head to see his saviour, regretting who it was.

"You know, you're a pain in the ass to find. It's lucky you were just around the corner from here" Dabi said, eyeing his son angrily.

**Name:** Toya Todoroki

**Hero Name:** Dabi

**Quirk:** Cremation

_Born from a mutation, Dabi's Quirk grants him pyrokinetic abilities, allowing him to expel blazing hot blue flames from any part of his body. Homage to the name of his Quirk, Dabi can even use his flames to combust objects too, making his Quirk versatile for combat and rescue by removing rubble. However, Dabi's body is poorly suited to handle his Quirk, and therefore runs the risk of burning himself accidentally. Additionally, his Quirk also causes recoil when firing a large burst of flames.  
_

"Dad-" Kasai began but winced in pain as he tried to move.

"Todoroki!" Shin called from behind Dabi, rushing over quickly to meet his friend.

"Midoriya? What are you doing here?" Kasai asked weakly.

"I came to find you" Shin began, tears almost welling up in his eyes. "You God damn idiot! Look at yourself!" Shin was right, he was an idiot. What would his mother say now? How would she react to her son dying in an attempt for revenge for her? Ridiculous. Dabi strode over calmly and knelt down beside his son.

"Please Kasai," he said worriedly. Kasai could see the look in his father's eyes. It wasn't his usually calm and collected look. It was one of fear and sadness. "I know how much you hate them, but you can't do this. You're the last thing I have in this world that I care about. And if I lose you, I don't know what I'd be able to do."

"Dad…" Kasai said as he could feel it coming. No, not now. He wasn't going to cry. But the tears still came. "I'm sorry" he wept, hugging his father with his uninjured arm. Dabi smiled as he broke off their hug, turning to Shin.

"Midoriya, I'll be needing your jacket."

* * *

It took some time, but Dabi had managed to stop Kasai's bleeding by making a makeshift bandage out of Shin's jacket that was wrapped tightly around the wound. Dabi would have offered up his own jacket, but that came at the risk of burning himself with his Quirk. The jacket's special bracers and fire-resistant material kept Dabi's fire bursts in check, protecting his poor skin from suffering any more horrific burns. Before they could move, however, a sudden rush of wind swept through the street, extinguishing most of the flames in the area. A thunderous boom signalled the arrival of a new foe as Dabi got up and ready for another fight. His eyes widened and he cursed under his breath as he recognised the newcomer all too well. A large, well-built, muscular body frame that stood far taller then he did covered up by a cloak of torn black skin. The Nomu's facial features were well hidden by the skin hood over its face, all except for the glowing yellow eyes that screamed the word murderer to Dabi. As for the rest of the Nomu's body, it was a mess of black skin with muscle fibres trying to tear out of its body except for the left hand which was formed as a bone-like sword with the blade being formed of two strands of bone intertwining around each other. It seemed all the recent Nomu had arm augmentations for some reason or another.

"Found you" the Nomu droned as its shoulders expanded, letting two small cannon like appendages extend out of them.

"Get back you two, Now!" Dabi ordered in alarm, rushing forward and bringing his right arm across his body to intercept the incoming attack. The two cannons fired out a powerful beam of yellow energy at the rushing Pro, who in response, swung his ignited right arm over and generating a wall of blue flames in front of him. The two attacks collided, creating a small explosion that knocked Dabi back. Not relenting for one bit, Dabi sent a burst of blue flames forward. He had no idea where the Nomu was as the collision of attacks had generated a smokescreen. The Cremation surged forward, swallowing up the smoke and the Nomu. After a few seconds, Dabi lowered his hand to survey the damage dealt. To his surprise, the Nomu stood there unphased from the attack, smoke trailing from its body. _"A fire-resistant Quirk. That's the only explanation" _Dabi though as he readied himself for another assault. The Nomu moved first this time, the two cannons firing out another beam. Dabi countered once again with the flame wall, but out of the smokescreen flew the Nomu's bone sword, just grazing Dabi by the cheek as he dodged at the last second. Blood began to flow out of the cut as the Nomu was now directly in front of Dabi. The sword shifted, and Dabi leapt to his left, turning as he did. The action was too late however as the bone sword slashed the Hero across the chest, opening a small wound.

Dabi landed and clutched his chest, feeling a small amount of blood come flowing out. He was lucky it was only a light cut or else he would have been finished. The Nomu's cannons fired again and this time with no time to prepare a counter, Dabi raised his hand fired his flames to the right. The recoil from the shot pushed him out of the way as the energy beams hit the ground where he's just been standing. Again, the Nomu fired more blasts at Dabi who continuously used his flames to push himself out of the line of fire. At this rate, he couldn't perform a counter attack. He had to stay on the defensive until an opening could be seen. His chance came sooner than expected as the blasts got weaker and weaker until nothing, but a puff of smoke came out of the cannons. Not wasting the opportunity, Dabi lit his right arm up with his flames, swinging it across his body and releasing the fire before thrusting his left-hand forwards, further pushing the attack forward with more flames. The wave of fire surged towards the Nomu, engulfing it completely until only a cloud of smoke remained where it had just been standing. Dabi let out a heavy breath that he'd been holding. This was becoming too much. The flames were starting to burn now, and he was losing blood fast. He needed to end this quick.

There was a loud flap as the smoke cloud dispersed as a gust of wind blew across the street. Dabi stared in despair as the Nomu stood there almost unscathed, massive black wings now protruding from it's back. Dabi realised there was only one way to win. He needed to destroy the brain. The Nomu raised its right hand and it shot out like a tentacle, coiling through the air. Dabi took off running towards the Nomu, avoiding the tentacle limb which flew past him and narrowly dodging the bone sword which aimed for his head. Upon reaching the Nomu, Dabi thrust his right hand forward, right into the Nomu's face, flames lighting up along his palm. "Burn" was all he said before unleashing a torrent of flames into the creature's face. The Cremation coiled around the Nomu's skin hood as they leapt back at Dabi who jumped back out the way before they could hit him. It was risky using his flames so close to himself, but it was worth it as the Nomu grunted and screeched, the tentacle limb recoiling back to its owner, knocking Dabi off his feet. Dabi hit the ground hard, slightly winding himself in the process. The Nomu moaned as it smacked itself in the face, trying desperately to extinguish the blue flames. Dabi managed to sit himself up as the creature stared at him with murderous intent.

"You…pay" it growled darkly, it's wings flapping as it shot forward at Dabi. Dabi got himself up in a rush, lighting all his exposed limbs on fire. It hurt like hell, but it was either that or death by the Nomu's hands. Dabi shot another fire burst at the creature who retaliated by fire its cannons. Apparently, the recharge time had finished, and they were ready to go once more. The Nomu shot through the smokescreen caused and smacked Dabi with its massive palm sending him crashing into the wall of the building behind. The creature slammed it's hand into Dabi, this time pinning him to the wall. Dabi's brain went into panic mode as the flames around his body intensified, lashing out wildly at anything near them. The Nomu just growled and retracted its hand before slamming it's palm into Dabi again, pinning him once again. The Cremation disappeared as Dabi was knocked unconscious, leaving him open. The Nomu raised its bone sword and arched it's arm back, aiming the point straight for Dabi's head.

Shin had no idea what happened next. He had no idea why he started running, or why his legs even moved in the first place. He just knew he was moving. A strange feeling bubbled inside his chest. It was like a spark or a small ember flickering in the wind. It grew and grew until it consumed his entire body. A loud whistle echoed through Shin's ears as his body glowed. He took off from the ground, flying through the air towards his enemy. He remembered it know. How his father had told him that the memorable Pros had stories from their high school days. Where their legs moved without them thinking. How they unconsciously forced themselves into a predicament to help someone. How his brother had done the same thing to prove to his father that he was worthy of his Quirk's power. He clenched his hand into a fist and pulled it back ready for the punch.

"Let him go now!" He roared at the Nomu who turned its head just in time. The power coursed through Shin's body, making its way towards his fist as it overflowed. Deep within himself, Shin heard the single phrase that would be the key to releasing it. "SMASH!" With a mighty thrust of his hand, Shin punched the Nomu square in the cheek, hearing the bones grind under the power of his fist. The creature made a noise before it was sent flying, the limp body of Dabi now slumping to the floor. Shin landed on his feet before doubling over in pain. What the hell was that? He raised right arm that he'd punched with, seeing it now red and swollen. It couldn't be a quirk? Could it? But that was impossible! His father was Quirkless now and his mother had a telekinetic based Quirk. So why did he have his brother's strength? A noise up ahead alerted Shin's attention and he looked up to see the Nomu slowly picking itself up. It must have landed on its left arm as the bone sword had now been snapped off. Shin didn't know what that power was, but he needed it again. He called down deep within himself for it to awaken. Nothing. The Nomu was now glaring at him. Shin called again. Still nothing. The Nomu took a step forward. Shin screamed inside himself for it to come back. Nothing again. The Nomu began to stride over to him slowly and menacingly. Dabi was still unconscious and couldn't do anything.

"Midoriya! Move!" Kasai yelled but to no avail. Shin stood there frozen in fear as the Nomu made it's way over to him. A black blur suddenly slammed into the Nomu from out of nowhere and crashed into the ground. When the dust settled, Shin stared in shock as a man in presumably in his thirties stood on top of the Nomu, holding it down with his hand on its face. His eyes were a sunset orange colour whilst his black hair was left messy, falling in between his eyes and along the sides of his head. His clothing consisted of a white shirt and black tie under a black vest that almost looked like armour. Additionally, he had a pair of metal braces covered under his black dust trench coat and black gloves with silver lines running down the fingers. Along with that, he wore black slacks held up by a belt and black combat boots.

"Now then," the man said before the ground beneath the Nomu's head gave way and the Nomu's head exploded into mush, blood and bits grey matter splattering everywhere. The man soon rose and looked over to Shin and now Dabi who seemed to be coming around. "let's get you all out here then" the man said. "I've got some things I need to discuss with you boys."

* * *

**Paddington Station, London – 9:01 AM**

"_Beware the purple trickster."_

The quote rang through Kieran's head as it was the commotion from outside the tent that awoke him this time instead of the train. He let out a groan as he slowly rose from the small bed, letting the cold flannel drop from his head. He felt hot, far too hot. He could see that he also almost stark naked save for his underwear and bandages covering his chest. Kieran then took note of his surroundings, seeing a small desk with a small lamp on top along with paperwork. The flaps to the tent were closed but left slightly ajar so Kieran could see and hear outside. Outside he heard raised voices, a pair of people arguing with each other. However, when the words 'He's a bloody criminal!' Rang through his ears, Kieran's heart stopped. No, it couldn't be. Could it? Had they found out? Kieran gripped his hair tightly in frustration.

"_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!_ _Fuck! I'm so FUCKED!"_ He thought in alarm. He knew it'd been too good to be true. He _knew_ coming to the city was a bad idea. He_ knew _it would be swarming with Pros. And he still chose to come anyway. He had to leave, NOW. Kieran's eyes darted around the tent, aiming to find his clothes, now spotting them on the back of the chair. That was it. He'd get dressed, sneak out and run back along the railway tracks at the end of the station. After that, he'd go the long way around the city and head South. Kieran didn't care if he had to kill every single Nomu that wandered in front of him, anything was better than the alternative. The sound of the tent flap opening got Kieran's attention and Kieran soon saw a youngish man in his twenties walk into the tent. He had shoulder length brown hair that was curled slightly and swept out the way of his brilliant purple eyes. He wore a black gothic military trench coat that was zipped up and hid the rest of his clothing except for his black boots. Kieran also noticed that the man also had bandages that were wrapped around his arms almost up to his fingers. Suddenly, the headache returned, and the world faded once more as the man walked in and his flame revealed itself to Kieran who went numb upon seeing it. It was a colour he'd never seen before in his entire life.

It was Purple.

Kieran was now confused as hell when the world returned. His mouth was dry as sweat trickled down his forehead. Kieran only snapped back to reality when the man gave a small laugh and Kieran instinctively set himself alight, burning the bed in the process. The man stared at Kieran, marvelling at his powers and moved forward.

"If you're thinking of capturing me and dragging me to prison, you are dead wrong" Kieran threatened. The man chuckled once more.

"Take you to jail? Hahaha! I'm afraid I have the exact opposite in mind" the man replied, stepping forward once more. Kieran didn't buy it, the flames now intensifying.

"I'm warning you, BACK OFF" Kieran growled. Kieran didn't understand. Why Purple. Why was everyone else Orange or Grey but him Purple? What did it mean? The chain of questions suddenly brought back a long-lost memory from the past. A quote from somewhere.

"_Beware the purple trickster."_

That quote again. Where had he heard it before? Questions for later as the man spoke once again.

"What marvellous flames. Such an interesting Quirk you have. What is it called?" The man asked.

"I don't have to tell you jack," Kieran said in a low voice, not taking his eyes off the man who just huffed.

"Again with the hostility?" He huffed in slight annoyance. "And here I thought we'd be able to talk like civilised human beings." With that, the man grabbed the chair and spun it around for him to sit on, which he promptly did. "Now then, time for introductions. My name is Dominic Flinch, I'm a member of the Sacchi Organisation."

"Sacchi Organisation? What is that?" Kieran asked, the flames unwavering. Never had he heard of such a group on his travels. Probably a villain organisation or something of the sort.

"Ah yes, you wouldn't know who we are since we like to stay out of the limelight," Dominic said as he placed his hands together. "Firstly, do you understand how the current Hero education system works? Schools offering hero courses to study which students join and graduate as Pro Heroes?" Kieran nodded in response. He'd learnt a little bit about it when growing up and again on his many travels across the country. "Good," Dominic said with a smile as he took in a deep breath and began his explanation. "To put it simply, the members of the Sacchi Group are mercenaries for hire or, as we like to put it, Covert Black Ops Units. External contractors hire us to do the Heroes dirty work, so they don't have to get blood on their hands." Kieran found this a lot to take in. He had never even imagined such an organisation would exist. But such groups working for the military did exist, so it didn't seem too farfetched. "Because of law, Heroes are prohibited from killing villains unless given no other choice" Dominic continued before giving a sinister smile. "But such laws don't apply to us. We're usually contracted with jobs that involve killing highly dangerous people, tearing down villain organisations before they can become a large enough problem for the heroes to deal with."

"Ok then," Kieran said sceptically. "What do you want with me then?"

"To put it simply, we want you as part of your organisation," Dominic said. Kieran's eyes widened as his flames extinguished themselves due to his surprise.

"You want me as a mercenary?" He asked.

"Yes," Dominic answered with a smile. "After your little 'showcase' yesterday, I can definitely guarantee that you have the skills, ruthlessness and Quirk that would be perfect for our organisation." Kieran was surprised. No one apart from his own mother had ever complimented him before. It was too unreal. "You see, the Sacchi Group isn't just an organisation" Dominic continued. "It's also a school." Kieran's eyes perked up at this. "Since our line of work is slightly different from the regular Hero work, those learning to become black ops members have to go through a slightly different education system than the normal hero courses. To join us, you'll be required to join the Sacchi Academy and be trained there until graduation where you're free to either join the organisation or work solo." Now Kieran was interested. There was an actual place now where his skills could be put to use for once. No more running away. He might finally have a purpose in life for once. But something felt off about the whole offer.

"Why me though?" Kieran asked Dominic who gave a slightly perplexed look.

"Because your quirk and skills can be vital to our organisation. All your needs will be taken care of. You'll be provided with a place to stay and three meals a day" Dominic said.

"_Beware the Purple Trickster."_

"There's something else you want from me, right?" Kieran said. Dominic gave a hard stare, but Kieran could see it in his eyes. "Nobody just comes up to someone and offers them free education and a place to stay. There's more to this isn't there?" Dominic sighed in annoyance.

"There is," he said in defeat. "Your needs, as well as the needs of others, are being paid for by the Hero Public Safety Commissions of several countries that we've recently partnered with such as America and Japan. The aim is to provide us with more students who are trained to kill in order to combat the current Nomu virus currently spreading across the world. Most of our recent contracts are jobs to reclaim areas of land lost by Nomu by driving them out. It's a taxing job and it doesn't help with several of our members being killed recently. So the aim is to bolster our numbers with help from the Safety Commissions in exchange for new recruits working for them" Dominic explained. Kieran growled in annoyance. It _was_ too good to be true. They only saw him as a tool just like…him.

"_I am no tool. I swore that the day I left"_ he thought darkly. He wasn't going through that again. "Sorry, but I'm not going to take you up on the offer," Kieran said as he flipped off the bed covers. "I'd rather stay a free man than be used as nothing but a tool in a war which does not concern me." He'd almost rather rot in prison than act as someone else's pawn. That was just downright degrading.

"I'm afraid you will have to take me up on that offer unless you want to spend several years in prison? Kieran Adar Rivers." Kieran froze at the mention of his name.

"How do you?" He began, completely at a loss for words. Dominic smiled.

"After yesterday, we did a little background digging whilst you were unconscious. Some of the things we found were very interesting" he said. Kieran felt himself go numb as Dominic began his list. "Last year, March 19th. The bodies of two men were found in the streets of Newcastle completely burned. Identification of both men revealed that they were members of a local street gang that were currently having their members picked off one by one by an orange blur."

"N-no," Kieran said shakily.

"Two days later in the same city, a building was burnt to the ground with several of the gang members inside. All members escaped the blaze with minor burns and were promptly arrested by police and Pro Heroes. Witnesses claim that an orange glow had been seen near the building before the blaze started."

"Stop it."

"March 25th. The charred remains of several Nomu were found in the North Pennies on what was the remains of a battleground. Evidence from the site revealed that a fire-based Quirk had been predominantly been used throughout the fight. More bodies were found several days later, some as far as Lancaster."

"I said stop it."

"April 15th. A man in Blackpool suffered third-degree burns caused by a young individual between the ages of 14 and 16. Witnesses say that the youth stole a white jacket and fought the man with a burning flame-like aura."

"No, stop!"

"May 12th. A building in Birmingham was burnt to the ground by a young individual with a white jacket. Witnesses say-"

"Enough! I get it! You know who I am!" Kieran yelled. "Just…stop, please." Dominic smiled once more at his handy work.

"All the Pros know who you are now, what crimes you've committed. Whilst at most you've killed two people over the course of the past year apart from the Nomu, you've still caused many more cases of assault and theft which have all added up into a hefty amount of jail time. You walk out there without me now, and you'll be thrown in prison for a good amount of years" Dominic explained. It was then that the quote came back to Kieran. It all made sense now.

"_Beware the Purple Trickster."_

"You're blackmailing me aren't you?" Kieran asked. Dominic faked a look of hurt.

"Blackmail? Me? Surely you jest" he replied.

"Don't bullshit me. You gave away my info to the Pros in order to either get me to join you or rot in prison" Kieran accused.

"Actually, that's half true" Dominic answered. "We found out your info together and I made a deal with the Pros after that. As long as we kept you under our rein and out of trouble if you joined us, your past crimes would be pardoned as I argued that all the potential you had would go to waste by just sitting in jail for several years. So now, I'll let you decide." Dominic said as he got up to leave. He thought it best to give the boy some time to think about the options available.

"Wait." Dominic turned around in surprise. Did he already make a decision? "Those Nomu, they took everything from me," Kieran said. Dominic could see it now. A fire burning in the boy's eyes. A fire filled with rage and anger. "I swore to myself that I'd kill every single one of those things until my last breath. So I'll take you up on your offer if it means I get to kill them. But don't think for a second you can think of me as a pawn in your silly little war." Dominic grinned, proud of his accomplishment.

"Welcome aboard Kieran Rivers. Get yourself dressed, we've got some business to sort out."

* * *

**Praed Street, London – 9:19 AM**

On the rooftop of a building overlooking the grand train station, a lone figure sat scribbling notes into a small notebook. He had short black hair with a single brown eye. The other side of his face was covered by a white demonic looking mask with long teeth with three black stripes running across it looking similar to claw marks. The rest of his attire was a white hoodie with various blood stain markings and black jeans with trainers. Attached to his hips was a pair of pouches that housed all sorts of items.

"Finished yet?" Figure tore off his headphones and lowered his hood. He turned around to see a tall figure in a long black cloak standing a few meters behind him. The hood was lowered so the taller figures face couldn't be seen. "The Nomu died yesterday, you should have finished the report by now Cain," the taller figure said. Cain sighed in annoyance as he closed his book.

"I know, I know. But there was a lot to cover and the kid used his flames too but passed out. I'm theorising on why though." The taller figure just ground his teeth from behind his mask.

"Just make sure you hurry it up. Master will start to get impatient with you" he then said.

"Alright! Alright!" Cain huffed waving his hand. "But leave. You're distracting me and I can't get their report done any quicker with you hovering over me every few hours." The taller figure clicked his tongue in anger before waving his hand, a red portal opening where his hand moved.

"Just hurry up" he growled before walking in, the portal closing behind him. Cain sighed before opening his notebook and began scribbling notes once again. While he had lost his puppet yesterday, the results obtained from the experiment were quite interesting. It proved that the kid's flames were far too much for the serum to handle, yet he'd knocked himself out. Probably a drawback from his Quirk, but he hadn't done so before, so it was very interesting. And then there was the human mummy. Now _that_ was a problem. If Grimjaw got him first then they were screwed big time. They'd need to do something about that pronto. With that. Cain closed his book and prepared for his long journey home.

Things were getting interesting.

* * *

**And the academy gets introduced as well as what it does. I'm going to enjoy sending everyone on missions soon enough. The entrance exam arc is finally beginning and should start in the next few chapters!**

**And the second chapter is done! So this chapter started with a different perspective this time, coming all the way from Japan with Dabi, Kasai and Shin as the focus. There is no doubt in my mind that Dabi is Toya. It's been teased so much that I can't possibly be true. Also taking creative liberties with Dabi's Quirk, mostly with it's since the official name hasn't been revealed yet. I'm a little bit worried about having two central characters in the story both have flame Quirks, but Kieran and Kasai's Quirks will actually be quite different in the ways they use them. And yes, in this au, poor Shoto did get half his face melted by Shigaraki so he won't be appearing. In fact, most of the aged up Pros won't be appearing just to tell the truth as it's going to be more OC focused, but they'll show up every now and again. Also, a note about Shin's Quirk. As you can guess, it is related to One For All, but it isn't One For All itself.**

**That's about it from me for now. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, leave a review why and I'll see you all in the next update!**


	3. Chapter 3: How Not To Socialise

**Paddington Underground Station, London – 10:30 AM**

Kota wasn't a people person; he never had been. That's why he stood relaxed in the entrance to the London Underground. He had gone over there to try and get away for everyone as well as that kid. He still remembered clear as day watching the Nomu's body turning into a charred mess before the kid had fallen unconscious. It had been hell trying to get the kid back to the station. His body was far too hot for anyone to carry as all those who did end up burning themselves. Kota had to continuously use his water to try and cool him off while Gaia carried the boy back. Thankfully Eri was there to sort things out. That girl and her Quirk was a lifesaver, literally.

"Still sulking as usual I see," a feminine voice said. Speak of the bloody devil. Walking towards him after just coming down the stairs was none other than Eri herself. The girl's costume was a simple white healthcare tunic with blue lines on the ends of the sleeves and navy-blue trousers and shoes. This was under a white cloak with thick blonde fur around the collar. Additionally, wrapped around her exposed arms were a series of bandages that reached up to the palms of her hand. Kota unfolded his arms and turned to face Eri as she approached him.

"I'm just thinking about stuff" Kota answered her as he held out his hands that were currently wrapped in a cast each. He knew what was going to happen next. Eri took on of his hands before her horn began to glow a bright white. Kota felt his broken fingers slowly mending themselves, returning them back to their original state.

"You've got to forget about that super move" Eri scolded annoyed. "I won't be around forever to patch you up." By this time, the bandages around her arms had unravelled themselves and were flapping around wildly.

"I wanted to finish the fight quickly" Kota replied. "Using that moved helped that."

"At the cost of your fingers," Eri muttered. The glow from her horn died down as Kota's fingers had been returned to their original state. Reaching into her utility belt, Eri produced a small blade which she used to cut through the cast. After some struggle, the cast gave way and broke off, allowing Kota to stretch and examine his newly healed hand. "I'm sorry I couldn't help sooner" Eri began as he worked on healing Kota's other hand. "But I was stuck dealing with a few patients who had just arrived here."

"It's fine," Kota replied before the bandages around Eri's arms began to unravel. "But please take off your capturing weapon. It's starting to get in the way." Eri paused as she watched the bandages flap about like they had been caught in the wind. She let out a small giggle.

"Sorry about that. But I'm almost finished so there's no point" she then answered. No sooner had the words left Eri's mouth, the glow from her horn died down once again and the bandages stopped flapping around. After spending so much time with Shota Aizawa during her childhood, it was only natural for Eri to take after the Erasure Hero. This was even better when it was discovered that similar to when Shota used his Quirk, Eri's Quirk would emit a type of strange energy wave that disrupted lightweight objects around her hands, causing them to float, similar to Shota's capture weapon and hair which floated upon activation of his Quirk. This had led to the young hero to be taught the Eraserhead Style just like Hitoshi had been taught. The only difference between her and Hitoshi was that Hitoshi's Quirk didn't emit the same energy waves as she and her mentor did. Eri once again cut through the cast around Kota's hand, finally freeing it.

**Name:** Eri Aizawa

**Hero Name:** Backtrack

**Quirk:** Rewind

_A severe mutation in Eri's body gave birth to this amazing Quirk. By channelling energy through her body, Eri's horn will glow and allow her to rewind any biological object to a previous state. Rewind allows Eri to reverse people injuries, returning their body to a state before it was injured. She can also nullify and rewind Quirks. This due to a chemical in her blood that attacks the Quirk Factor in another person's body._

"Better now?" Eri asked with a small smile.

"Yes. Thank you, Eri. But why are you here?" Kota asked. Having worked with her for almost two years now, Kota knew that Eri mostly spent her time with the wounded and would never stray too far from the first aid area. It was when Eri's normally cheerful expression changed to a deadly serious one that Kota knew something was _very _wrong.

"I got a call from the Bakusquad Agency an hour or two ago. Japan's been hit by an outbreak, in Musutafu." Kota felt as if he'd been punched in the gut as all the energy in him had seemingly been sucked out.

"What happened?" He asked shakily.

"Six Nomu broke through the Divide, but now they're saying there's more. The Bakusquad and Endeavor Agencies were drafted in to combat the infestation. I heard Shin got caught in the crossfire." Kota clenched his newly healed fist before slamming it into the wall, causing Eri to jump. "But everything is ok! Shin wasn't hurt and actually saved both Dabi and his kid! He wasn't injured much" Eri explained, trying to calm Kota down. But that didn't matter to him. Two days it had been. Two days since he had got here, and everything already went to shit back home. If only he'd stayed, he could have helped them. He had made a promise to Deku. He was supposed to take the role of the elder brother for Shin. To protect him and watch him grow as a big brother should. Who would look out for him with Deku gone? Not Katsuki, he was too busy as the Number 1 Hero. Ochako was also too busy. She and Hitoshi were worked off their feet trying to keep Team Plus Ultra in order. Ever since the loss of their beloved leader, things had taken a poor turn at the agency, with Hitoshi being shoved into being the team leader in Deku's absence. It didn't help the fact that Hitoshi was a complete rookie leader, having almost no skill in leading a team. But with Tenya leading Team Idaten in his brother's absence and the unfortunate passing of Tsuyu Asui, there was little choice left for a level-headed leader. I didn't help with the fact that Momo was on the other side of the world too. She would have been a great leader for Team Plus Ultra with her impressive leadership skills and intelligence. Hitoshi fit the role only because he seemed the most reasonable and calm out of the remaining sidekicks.

"I should have been there" Kota growled. "But no, I get suck here helping wounded. I'm the Combat Hero for god's sake! I'm supposed to fight bad guys!"

"And you did" Eri protested. "Had it not been for you yesterday, more lives may have been lost." They had lost several Pros to the Nomu before Kota had arrived. Despite Eri's best efforts, not all of the injured made it. Thankfully, however, Gaia and Kota had received lighter injuries and Dynamo only suffered from a broken leg. But Madame Warden was in a coma currently with several hard hits to the head and a lack of iron in her blood. But thanks to Rewind she'd make a full recovery soon enough. "I just wish we could have restrained it though" Eri muttered. This caught Kota's attention. Not this again.

"Eri, we've been through this before. You can't heal them" Kota. Eri clenched her fists angrily.

"Yes, I can!" She protested. "I just have to try harder!" Kota clutched his forehead and closed his eyes, sighing in annoyance.

"You can't. Their bodies and minds are too altered for Rewind to work. You almost killed yourself trying!" Kota argued back. When the virus first appeared, Eri had been set to work trying to heal the Nomu with Rewind. She had healed countless injuries in the past and had dealt with a few diseases here and there. This was something different entirely. No matter how hard she focused, or how much energy she poured in, the Nomu wouldn't revert back to human form. It was almost mindboggling. They were human before, weren't they? So why couldn't they return back? The answer was speculated to be something in the virus itself that cancelled out any other effect that would alter the infected's body. The excessive energy Eri had used drove her to complete exhaustion and she was on the verge of death. Since then, a new law stating that Nomu were to be killed on sight had been put in effect. Whilst the virus itself had slowed down as fewer people were becoming infected and were resisting the virus, the Nomu themselves were still a problem.

"I-I-" Eri began, trying to come up with a counterargument, but it was no use. "I wish we didn't have to kill them. They're still people."

"They _were_ people" Kota corrected before moving off the wall. "I'm going to try and get in touch with the Bakusquad to see what the hell is going on." He then paused just in front of the steps. "How's our friend doing?" He then asked. Eri instantly knew what was going on.

"Dominic found what he wanted. They're actually leaving in the next hour or so" Eri answered him. Kota turned and nodded before waking up the stairs. He had some goodbyes to say.

* * *

**Corusan District (Shopping Mall), Musutafu – 19:40 PM**

"Sacchi Organisation?" Both Shin and Kasai asked. The two boys and Dabi had finally made it back to the shopping mall where the first aid zone was located. Katsuki and Ochako were both there to greet them, Katsuki having put on a spare jacket to replace the faulty one that had been ruined. Medical Heroes had been there to cover the three injured while Katsuki took off with Shockwave (who'd been keeping the Nomu at bay with vibrations at 1-second intervals) to round up the remaining Nomu that were still present in the area. A total of fifty-two Nomu had been accounted for so far, a far cry from the original six that he been surveyed. Nejire-Chan had apologised profusely over the radio at her incompetence. While the two Heroes went off together, Ochako followed to perform rescue operations with Cementoss and Sirius, who had come from the Oki Mariner to help with rescue thanks to her super hearing since Kyoka was overseas with Momo. As all of this was happening. The strange man in the trench coat had begun to speak to the boys and their parents who were also present, having just arrived to see the two boys.

"That's correct" the trench coat man, having introduced himself as Leonardo, answered. "We're a special school which teaches students to become mercenaries for hire or as we say, Covert Black Ops Units, CBOP for short. I believe the two of you would become excellent students at our academy." All except for Enji Todoroki stared in shock.

"Wait. Let me get this straight" Toshinori began, holding onto his crutches for support. He was still dressed in his office attire, a white shirt and blue tie with yellow trousers and brown shoes. He'd been busy helping Hitoshi sort out paperwork for Team Plus Ultra when the outbreak occurred. It was long before Inko had shown up, bawling about how their 'baby' was in danger. "You work for a mercenary organisation that trains kids to become mercenaries and you want our kids as members? Why?"

"I came to this country under a partnership with the Hero Public Safety Commission. They're allowing me to scout out new recruits for our academy in exchange for them being placed in Anti-Nomu Teams which will fight the Nomu infestation across the globe" Leonardo explained. Inko gasped.

"Wait. You want my baby to fight those…_things_?!" She cried, gesturing to the body of a deceased Grey Class Nomu which had been promptly dealt with by Shockwave.

"Essentially, yes" Leonardo replied. "However, the pair of them will receive extensive training beforehand and will have to graduate first before being working for the safety commissions." Enji frowned.

"What exactly do you see in my grandson exactly?" He asked. Despite being just over sixty years old now, Enji was still in amazing shape, still sporting a muscular body frame that had slightly faded over the years due to not training anymore. Just like Toshinori, Enji had just come from sorting out paperwork for the Endeavor Hero Agency. Whilst he hadn't officially retired yet, Enji had realised that age was slowly catching up with him and had opted to focus on administration work for the agency rather than being out in the field. That was Dabi's job now. Currently, Enji wore a simple white button up shirt with a back tie under a red blazer and red trousers with back pointed shoes. As he normally did, Enji had flames lit up on his face to act as a moustache.

"Your grandson has an excellent and powerful Quirk along with some combat knowledge. Though his combat skills do need to be brushed up a bit, he'll definitely make a powerful addition to the academy" Leonardo answered. Enji and Dabi looked at Kasai with a disapproving look while Kasai went to defend himself.

"What? I did ask you guys to teach me Flashfire. An before you say, no, I haven't been slacking with training" Kasai claimed.

"Yes, but because of how wild your Quirk is, Flashfire is difficult to teach. You need to have more precise control over your Quirk before you can use it" Enji stated.

"Then what about Shin?" Inko interrupted, preventing an argument from occurring between the tree Todoroki's. "I don't understand why you want him to join your academy, he's Quirkless." This caught Leonardo by surprise.

"I don't understand," said, now deep in thought. "I watched your son send a High-End Nomu flying with a single punch."

"A single punch?!" Toshinori coughed in shock, blood coming out of his mouth.

"Toshi!" Inko cried, holding on to Toshinori in order to give him support.

"I'm alright Inko," Toshinori said before turning back to Leonardo. "You said a single punch, as in super strength?" He then asked.

"That's right" Leonardo confirmed. Toshinori then turned to Shin.

"Is this true Shin?" He asked.

"It is" Shin answered. "I don't know what happened to be honest. It's like those stories you told me. How a Hero's legs just started moving on their own. It happened to me. Then I had this weird feeling, like a power bubbling inside me and I just punched the Nomu" Shin explained. Toshinori's eyes had widened at the sound of the new information. It sounded just like…

"Shin, can I speak to you for a second" Toshinori asked. Shin gave a confused look before following his father away from the group. Once they were a far enough distance away, Toshinori turned back to his son and began to speak. "Shin, you might not believe this, but I think you may have inherited One For All from me by accident." Shin's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at this.

"How?! Why?!" He practically yelled. Toshinori frantically shushed him in a panic. Despite opening up about the nature of his Quirk and its history to his new family, the secret of One For All we still just that, a secret. Shin was still freaking out over the revelation. The legendary One For All was at his fingertips! But how was that even possible? His brother was the one who owned the Quirk, not him.

"I'll explain," Toshinori said, doing his best to try and piece together how the impossible was possible. "Back when I defeated All For One, my Quirk supposedly disappeared, or so everyone thought. I could still retain my muscle form for a split second, meaning I still had at least a spark of One For All left in me. When you were born, I believe that spark transferred to you, growing into the small ember of power that I once had."

"Small ember?" Shin questioned.

"Ah, that's the term Master used for the remaining power of One For All. After being transferred to another person, the former holder is left with the Quirk's remaining power or 'embers' as she put it" Toshinori explained. "Though I never imagined it was possible for the remaining power to be inherited by another person. I wonder why it never showed until now?"

"Maybe it needed a trigger of some sort?" Shin suggested.

"Perhaps" Toshinori agreed before placing his hand on Shin's shoulder. "Shin, I'm afraid you must bear the burden of One For All. With Young Midoriya not here, I'm afraid the Quirk's legacy now falls to you. I hope you understand the responsibility that's been put on you." Shin nodded at this. One For All was a special Quirk with a large legacy behind it. When Izuku disappeared, it was believed the legend of One For All had died. But now it had resurfaced in his younger brother.

"I understand dad" Shin answered with a determined expression. Toshinori smiled. It seemed the two brothers were more alike than it seemed.

"Thank you" Toshinori replied before another thing crossed his mind. "Shin, when you activated All For One, how did you feel? What did you picture in your head?" Shin was initially confused at first but thought hard to recall the image he pictured.

"Umm…It was kinda like a bathtub filling up with water and overflowing with bubbles bubbling everywhere" Shin answered, going red. It was a weird way to explain it, but that he could remember seeing in his head. Toshinori gave a laugh before smiling at his son.

"Don't feel embarrassed Shin. When Young Midoriya would use One For All, he'd picture an egg in a microwave" He explained. Shin gave a dumbfounded look. That was easily the weirdest way to activate a Quirk. "Just remember to picture that image inside your head. That's the key to activating One For All" Toshinori continued, getting a nod from Shin. "Come on, I feel bad leaving them for a while now," Toshinori said as he began to walk back to the group. Shin followed quickly behind him.

"Well? What did you two talk about?" Inko asked.

"We talked about Shin's supposed super strength" Toshinori answered. "I believe Shin inherited my Quirk from me, but it needed some sort of trigger to activate." This caused the group to give a few surprised glances and stares.

"I suppose it's not impossible" Enji agreed, everyone now turning their heads towards him. "I've had a few cases where I've seen Quirks that need certain conditions to activate. Usually, these Quirks stockpile overtime before being released. The results can be quite dangerous."

"That is true" Leonardo added. "But all that raw power Shin has can be focused and tamed with the proper training." Toshinori felt himself being stabbed in the gut as he reminisced how poor his training of One For All for Izuku was.

"I don't like it still," Inko said. "I've already lost one child, I'm not risking my other one, not again." Losing Izuku had been hard for her. With Hisashi absent for most of Izuku's life, Inko had brought it upon herself to raise him herself. He had watched him laugh, watched him cry, break himself over and over to obtain his dream. And when it finally happened, Inko couldn't have been prouder. And then it all fell apart. That dreadful explosion. The Nomu swarming the city. The smiling face of her baby boy using what little strength he had left to hold up a falling building as flames danced around his battered and bruised body. Those dreadful Nomu slowly dragging their heavy bodies towards a weakened Izuku. She couldn't bear to remember it all. "I am not sending my son marching towards his death. Quirk or no Quirk, Shin is not going." Inko stated firmly, tears running down her face.

"Inko…" Toshinori said before comforting his wife. He couldn't stand to see her like this.

"I completely understand your decision," Leonardo said respectfully before turning to the Todoroki family. "Now for your decision. As I said, I believe Kasai will make an exceptional student at Sacchi Academy."

"Well there's really nothing left for him here," Dabi said. Kasai turned towards him. "Kasai, I want you to go. I think you'll find it's a better opportunity out there than here in Japan."

"Same here," Enji said, nodding in agreement. "Since their academy is working with several other countries, you'll have many more resources available for you." Kasai though for a bit before turning back to Leonardo.

"I'll go. I want to do everything in my power to stop those Nomu" he said before losing his determined look. "But I don't think I can really be a mercenary. I don't have it in my heart to kill another person."

"Don't worry, if becoming a mercenary is not your fancy, then you can still become a hero" Leonardo said. Kasai's downcast expression turned to one of hope and confusion as Leonardo continued. "Since we're also having kids from various hero course apply as well as working with the Safety Commissions, some of the lessons taught will be basic hero training such as rescue training and first aid for example. After graduation, pupils can apply for hero licences where they'll be able to carry out hero work." This caught Shin's attention too. Despite being Quirkless, he wanted to become a Hero too like his older brother, or at least help them by going into law enforcement or something like that. Now that he had a Quirk, the dream seemed a lot more realistic.

"I'm going too!" He suddenly blurted out, much to the shock of everyone else. Shin turned and looked at his mother deep in the eyes. "Mom, understand what you said, about not wanting to lose me like big bro, but this is my dream too. I want to be a hero that will surpass him and stop the Nomu. Plus, Kasai is going. We're inseparable."

"He's right" Kasai added. "If Midoriya isn't going then I'm not going either."

"Kasai think about this" Enji protested. "This is a golden opportunity your throwing away right now."

"I don't care. Midoriya means more to me than some school" Kasai argued back. Enji only huffed in annoyance while Dabi just sighed, turning to Leonardo.

"Sorry, but when he gets like this it's impossible to change his mind," Dabi said.

"Don't worry, I understand" Leonardo replied. "It is his choice at the end of the day."

"Mom, please let me go" Shin pleaded. "I may have a chance to end this once and for all with the power I've unlocked. Please, you let big bro become a Hero, so why not me." Shin could now see the struggle on his mother's face as she thought long and hard about the decision. To Inko, there were two outcomes in letting Shin go. Shin goes and becomes a successful Hero thanks to his newfound power, or he fails partway and ends up getting killed by one of the Nomu. But the boy's determination and resolve were just like her first son's. It was that same determination that had caused him to be killed. "Please, mom. I might have a chance to end the Nomu for good!" Shin then yelled startling his parents.

"But-But how do I know you won't get yourself killed Shin!" Inko then yelled back. "These people are mercenaries for god's sake. They probably work near death plenty of times with the number of killers they go up against!" She then turned to Toshinori, tears now flooding her eyes. "Why aren't you saying anything Toshi! Stop him! You're his father!" Toshinori stared at his wife with the deep and intense gaze he had on for the past few minutes.

"I trust Shin's abilities" was the answer he gave. Inko looked at him shocked.

"Are you kidding?!" She yelled. "You trust in that Quirk that caused my poor Izuku to die!" Inko clenched her fists angrily and growled at the former Pro.

"Please Inko, try to understand," Toshinori said, his face still serious. "In my prime, it would take less five hits to defeat a Nomu. If Shin has inherited the same power, then he could probably flatten half a city if he wished." All while this was being said, Leonardo couldn't help a small smirk. The same power that All Might once wielded would be in their hands. Leonardo was almost excited at the capabilities this boy had. The Todoroki child wouldn't be bad either. "I understand you're still grieving for Young Midoriya…" Toshinori continued. "…But preventing Shin from accomplishing his goal won't protect him any more than he is now. What if another Nomu outbreak happens and this time someone isn't around to save Shin? He's going to need to know how to defend himself."

"Please, mom" Shin pleaded once again. "I promise to look after myself and I'll call you every single day, I promise." Inko turned back to her son, seeing the fiercely determined look in his eyes. Despite it only being a minute, it felt as if a century had passed before Inko finally spoke, giving a small laugh as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You're just like your brother" Inko whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I expect a call or text from you everyday young man, no buts." Shin's lips curled up into an excited and hopeful smile.

"Does this mean I can…" he started but was silenced by Inko's answer.

"Yes, I'll allow you to enrol at this school," Inko said a small smile on her face. "I can't stop your determination, just like your brother. No matter how many times I say it, you won't take no for an answer." Shin turned to Kasai with an excited face as the two high fived each other. "However…" Inko continued, turning towards Leonardo with a fierce glare. "If my son ends up losing his life because of your school's incompetence, I will bring you hell."

"Understood completely," Leonardo said as the group turned their attention back towards him. "Now that it's been settled, time for a little explanation. The entrance exam is three weeks away and we will need to leave straight away if we're going to reach school in that time" Leonardo then explained.

"Where exactly is the school anyway?" Kasai asked.

"Corse Island in the Mediterranean" was the answer.

* * *

**Paddington Station, London – 11:00 AM **

"Are you serious? It's an island?" Kieran asked as he followed Dominic closely behind.

"Yep" Dominic answered as he led the pair through the station. After their little chat, Kieran had gotten himself dressed and Dominic had disclosed the location of the Sacchi Organisation's headquarters by showing him on a map. It wasn't terribly far, to say the least, but without commercial air travel in the country currently, getting several examinees to the island was going to be a challenging task, to say the least. "When the company first started, we had our headquarters somewhere in Europe. Now we've negotiated a deal with the French government to take over the island for our base of operations" Dominic went on as the pair began to near the ticket barriers leading to platform two. "The whole island is under the guise of military occupation to keep trespassers out, but the governments know we exist there" Dominic finished explaining as the pair soon began to make their way down platform two. Kieran then noticed the short train of carriages lined up along the tracks. It was a set of four or five old fashioned boogie coaches decked out in traditional green GWR paint, contrasting to the sleek and modern design of the high-speed train that sat quietly on the next track. As the pair approached, Kieran noticed a small group of individuals around his age hanging around the platform, waiting seemingly for him and Dominic. Some were sat on the floor, heads buried in phones or books. Others leaned against the wall, giving off a menacing glare. The rest just stood in the middle of the platform, staring off aimlessly into space. Dominic and Kieran approached them, causing most of the teens to turn their heads in Kieran's direction.

"Apologies everyone for the delay, but we had one last applicant join us for the examination" Dominic explained with a smile. Kieran didn't know if his ears were tricking him, but the sound of an annoyed grunt caught his attention. He looked over, locking eyes with a scowling black-haired boy who wore dark trousers and a black puffy coat. His hair was styled into a crew cut and he had a ring piercing on his nose as well as several more piercings on his forehead. The pair eyed each other intensely, feeling the sparks between each other connect and lash out, aiming to prove who was superior. At last, the boy scoffed and turned his head away. Kieran eyed him for a second more before turning his head towards Dominic. "…and so, we will be travelling by boat to the island after arriving at Penzance," Dominic said, explaining the details of the journey to the present examinees. "The journey is especially long as we are making several stops to pick up more examinees, so prepare yourself for that. When the locomotive arrives at the front, I will need each of you to line up outside of the end carriage and board from there since we will need to register your name. The front carriage is for Sacchi operatives only, so you'll have the back few carriages to yourself. That's all for now." With that said and done, Dominic turned Kieran. "You're on your own now kid. Try not to fail" he whispered so the others wouldn't hear. After that, Dominic walked off down the platform.

Kieran suddenly felt very out of place, possibly due to the several stares he was receiving. Kieran pushed the thoughts away and made his way over to the wall which several other kids lent on. Kieran kept his distance, not wanting to socialise much as most of the other kids had the same idea of keeping to themselves. It was just his luck when someone from out of his vision came up to him. her hair was short and brown that was swept out of the way of her golden eyes. She wore a simple azure blue T-shirt with a short black skirt. The most notable part about her appearance was the fact her skin was a shiny olive-green colour, reminiscent of an insect's exoskeleton. Two small antennae stuck out her forehead while her legs were large and bent to a slightly awkward shape, with three toes, two out the front of each foot with one sticking out of the heel. Her arms were long and thin, looking as if they could be snapped like a twig. The girl stood there smiling, carrying a peculiar aura around her. Kieran wondered if his Quirk would kick into action by the sudden appearance of the newcomer, but no such luck. Oh well, he didn't want to end up with another headache.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely. He didn't want to be rude, but Kieran just wanted the girl to leave him alone for now. Right now, he had an exam to focus on.

"You're the kid from, yesterday right? The burning one they brought in?" She asked. Kieran's eyes widened slightly.

"What do you mean by burning?" He asked.

"Well when they set you down on the ground, you suddenly caught on fire" the bug girl continued. Surprised faces turned towards Kieran as he felt himself go red with embarrassment. He just had to try and play cool. If she showed weakness in front of anyone here, they'd eat him up alive.

"So what? It was just a little Quirk Overuse. There's nothing special about it" Kieran answered. That was Kieran's answer to most related questions about his mishaps with that damn Quirk. Quirk Overuse or Quirk Fatigue was it was more commonly known was an illness that was quite popular during the first and second generations. The result of overusing one's Quirk resulted in an illness that sent the user into a coma for several hours with the additional feature of painful headaches and a God-awful fever. A fever must have been what triggered the activation as Kieran had noticed his Quirk was slightly linked to his body temperature.

"Oh no. I just wanted to say I think your Quirk is cool" the bug girl said, slightly embarrassed. Kieran felt his face go red even more at this. This was the first time he'd ever received praise for his Quirk in a positive manner. Everyone else only likes it because of its devastating power.

"Umm…thank you?" Kieran replied, unsure of what to say. "It's…nice to hear a positive opinion on it for once."

"Why? Do people not like it?" She asked.

"Sort of" Kieran answered. "Most people only like it cause it's a flashy fire Quirk." It was then Kieran realised something. _"Holy shit. I'm talking to a girl"_ he though in surprise. Kieran himself had zero expertise in talking to the opposing gender, mostly because of his attitude. But he'd never truly met and spoke to a girl before due to him travelling so frequently. I was…kind of nice actually to speak to someone. Kieran felt a strange sensation bubbling inside himself. It was a warm fuzzing feeling that he hadn't felt in a while. A rumble from the front of the train tore the pair's attention away from each other as the locomotive for the train began to back down onto the waiting coaches. Kieran then watched as a boy in rather rough looking clothes ran towards the locomotive with a phone in hand, quickly snapping a photo of it. There was some yelling and the group of examinees began to move forward, interested in seeing what the commotion was about. By this time, the boy had stepped back as two workers in safety uniforms ushered him away from the train. Dominic came over to see what the problem was and began to speak to the two men. "What's going on?" Kieran asked quietly.

"Problem with the brakes" the rough clothed boy informed him, much to Kieran's surprise. He'd asked that question to no one in particular. "They found a hole in the brake pipe of one of the carriages" the boy continued. Now that boy was stood next to him, Kieran began to realise how tall the boy actually was. He stood at least 6ft with short brown hair that was messy and untidy. The clothes he wore were in poor shape as well. A ripped white long-sleeved top with the image of a blue steam train on it at speed with dark ripped jeans and brown boots. "It's filling with air, so the brakes are jammed on. They need to patch it with something."

"You know a lot about this don't you?" Kieran said, attempting to make small talk. The boy nodded in response.

"My grandfather drove a steam train in the Midlands for most of his life. That's probably where I picked it up from" the boy said, referring to his interest in locomotives.

"Fair enough" Kieran answered as he turned to the locomotive that was currently being tended to. It was the same shade of GWR green as the carriages, but it looked a bit more run down. It was obvious that the engine had a fairly active working life.

"I'm surprised they're using a Pre-Quirk engine though. Perhaps a rebuild?" Kieran looked at him surprised.

"Pre-Quirk? But that would mean that thing is over two hundred years old" Kieran stated.

"True, but some old designs of engines have been rebuilt with newer technology like this one" the body stated. Kieran couldn't help but feel slightly intrigued. Despite having the typical loner attitude, Kieran actually enjoyed casual small talk with others every now and again, but then he never really attempted to truly converse with others properly. At last Dominic came over to break the bad news.

"If I could have your attention, please! There is a small problem I need to address!" He shouted over the noise of the diesel's rumbling engine. "There is a slight fault with the brakes that should be taken care off soon…" Kieran could tell that the boy was smirking. "…In the meantime, we will have you board the train from the end carriage so we're ready to depart as soon as possible." There were a few murmurs and the shuffling of feet before the entire group moved as a single unit towards the back of the train. Standing there waiting was a bald man in a military trench coat, holding a clipboard that Kieran assumed had everyone's names on it. No words were spoken as a line began to neatly form along the platform. As that happened, Kieran noticed Kota walking up the platform towards him. Kota soon reached Kieran, standing over him with an intense glare.

"What do you want Water Hose?" Kieran asked slightly annoyed. Kota's expression didn't waver as he spoke.

"I came to say thank you" he answered. Kieran raised an eyebrow.

"For yesterday I'm guessing?" He asked. Kota nodded.

"If not for you, there could have been several more casualties. So thank you for taking care of the problem" Kota then said.

"I just saw an opportunity," Kieran said with a shrug. "But you're welcome."

"One more thing" Kota added before Kieran could turn away and walk off.

"What is it?" Kieran replied.

"Stay out of trouble," Kota told him. "I get the feeling you don't really want to be labelled as a villain, despite your past crimes."

"A guy's got to do what he can to survive" Kieran stated calmly.

"True, but still don't walk down the wrong path" Kota replied.

"Sure, whatever you say" Kieran replied back as he walked towards the line now forming.

"Celia Bernard…Alex Shifton…Donald McTavish" a man at the carriage door said as he listed off each person. It took a while, but soon Kieran and the boy were at the front of the line to board. The boy had waited for Kieran at the back of the line, asking what he and Water Hose talked about. Kieran lied by telling him that it was about his injuries instead of what happened with the Nomu. He didn't really feel like attracting too much attention. Right now, he wanted to rest since the journey was going to be a long one. "Robert Stanier…Kieran Rivers." With that done, Kieran and Robert boarded the train. The inside of the train itself wasn't too bad. It was similar to the layout of the high-speed trains that Kieran had frequently ridden on, having a white interior with nice comfy chairs and tables for food and other items. The two boys stopped as queue further up the carriage had been halted by someone. Noticing an empty seat, Robert took his chance and sat at the window seat, motioning for Kieran to join him by patting the empty seat next to him.

"Sorry, but I'm going further up the train" Kieran said as Robert only shrugged in response. The line began moving again and Kieran gave a small wave to Robert as he moved up the train. After being stopped several more times to let people sit down, Kieran had finally reached the second carriage. He had noticed that the train was quieter the further up he went, with some examinees already forming small groups to talk in. Kieran didn't really mind though. He thought it was best to stay at the front and get some peace. The last carriage was dead silent thankfully, but Kieran saw eyes turning in his direction, watching his every move as he walked. Kieran eventually found an empty table to sit at, one right next to a window that unfortunately didn't give him a nice view. Instead, it showed the interior of the train on the next platform thanks to a window on that train. It wasn't too bad, save for the death stare he received from the crew cut boy he had locked eyes with earlier. Of all the places he had to sit, this had to be the one. It didn't really matter, just as long as crew cut kept his mouth shut, things would be fine.

"Mind if I sit here?" A familiar voice asked. Kieran turned to the insect girl standing over him with a smile plastered on her face.

"Do what you what, I'm not one to fuss too much" he replied.

"Thanks" was all she said before taking off the backpack that was strapped to her back. Kieran turned his head the other way and rested his elbow on the window while also resting his chin on his knuckles as he stared out the window. Despite being generally ok with the girl sitting there, Kieran really didn't want to sit through almost seven hours of nonstop talking. "Didn't catch your name back there?" the girl said to him.

"Kieran" he responded, not turning back; clearly indicating he wasn't interested. The girl pressed on, however.

"Name's Amber. Amber Grillo" she continued.

"Mmm hmm" Kieran responded disinterestedly. There was a sudden jolt and a rumble from further up front outside. Guess the problem had been fixed. The sound of a guard's whistle proved Kieran's assumption correct as there was another jolt and the carriage moved forward.

"Finally," muttered the crew cut boy in an annoyed tone. Kieran waited for Amber to speak up again. However, all that could be heard was the sound of rusted wheels screeching against the metal of the track and the roar of the diesel engine hard at work at the front. Kieran didn't mind though; he preferred the silence over talking to the girl really. He guessed that she was one of those people that never kept her mouth shut when told to. However, despite trying to distract himself with the various scenery that passed by as the train ran along the tracks, Kieran couldn't help feeling slightly unnerved. This silence continued for a few minutes longer before a new voice broke it.

"So…does anybody wanna talk about something?" A small blonde-haired boy sitting across from buzzcut asked. He wore a simple aqua blue top underneath a black robe with red trims that covered his shoulder and chest. His hair reached down to his neck and was left very messy, mostly covering his brown eyes.

"What's there to talk about?" The crew cut haired boy huffed from opposite him.

"I just thought that since we might be in the same classes together, we might as well try and get to know each other" the blonde responded.

"There's no point" the crew cut huffed. "In this entrance exam, we're all going to be enemies. Making friends now will just slow you down in the long run."

"Gotta admit, he's right you know" Kieran chimed in. Amber blinked in surprise as Kieran responded to the other boy's statement. "Besides, we have no idea if any of us are even going to pass."

"Heh, even the emo agrees with me," the crew cut said with a smirk. Kieran frowned.

"Where the fuck did you get that from?" Kieran huffed, now glaring at the other boy.

"You basically act like an emo. Brooding in your little corner, thinking you're some sort of hotshot" the crew cut explained.

"Bet you were popular with people" Kieran muttered.

"Yeah, I was" the crew cut shot back, his mouth widening into a shit-eating grin that only served to piss Kieran off even more. Kieran growled his body temperature increases as his Quirk fought to activate. No, he couldn't at this moment. He'd set the train on fire if his Quirk went off. He needed space. With a huff, Kieran got up and went to walk back down the train. "Aww. Did I hurt your little feelings" the crew cut jabbed.

"Go eat a dick" Kieran shot back. "And learn how to get yourself a decent fucking haircut rather than that shit you call hair."

"You looking for a fight you asshat!" The crew cut yelled out, but it was too late. Kieran had already walked down the end of the carriage and shut the door. The train was especially bumpy in the section between carriages, but Kieran didn't mind it. He preferred standing here though. Here, he could at least get some fresh air by opening the window on the door. Kieran did just that, opening the window and deciding to stick his entire head out. It was a stupid idea, but the feeling was amazing. The blast of wind rushing against his face as the train travelled at over seventy miles per hour. Sometimes he just wished a train came flying by and smacked his head off. It beat living in a world such as this.

"You okay?" Kieran nearly banged his head against the door as he yanked his head back into the carriage in surprise. Standing there was none other than Amber who gave a friendly smile. At this point, Kieran gave up.

"You just don't want to leave me alone do you?" He said with a small smile.

"Pretty much. Also, it's very noisy in there now after you left. He didn't like that last insult" Amber explained.

"Is that so...?" Kieran asked, feeling proud of his accomplishment.

"Yep. You should have seen his face. It was hilarious" Amber said. Kieran gave a small laugh before continuing the conversation.

"Who was that asshole anyway?" Kieran asked.

"His name's Eddie," Amber said. "Apparently his parents were well-known mercenaries or something. He's believed to have one of the highest chances of passing the exam."

"I see. The typical arrogant rich kid I'm guessing. Probably would try to get his daddy involved if something upset him" Kieran replied, causing Amber to laugh. And so, it went on. The two of them continued to talk and talk in the space between the two carriages, laughing and telling each other stories. And Kieran soon found himself beginning to feel more comfortable around Amber as time went on. He made a mental note to himself that Amber was a person to trust. Additionally, he had found out that he and Amber weren't too dissimilar. Like him, she was also a wanderer, having no real home and travelling across the country constantly before finally settling down in London. She had gotten involved with some bad people there, however, having worked for them for a few months until the recent few weeks where she had been scouted by Dominic as Kieran had.

"So what about you Hotshot? What's your story?" Amber then asked. Kieran's mouth dried up at the question. He didn't know how to respond to this. He didn't want to bring up home. Not yet. It still hurt.

"Well…um…my father…wasn't really a nice person. Same for my brother. So, I left them for a life that I was in control of" he explained. It was the best way he could put it in a nutshell.

"And your mother?" Amber pressed. Kieran's hands clenched his trousers tightly as he looked down.

"Long gone" Kieran responded, his attention turning towards the window as the view of several large buildings came into his vision. It wasn't long before the view of a concrete pillar and several people obstructed his vision. Kieran got up in a flash, Amber doing so too as they were mesmerised by the sight before them. Despite seeing the station several times, it was still a sight to behold.

"Where are we?" Amber asked. She didn't need Kieran to answer for her as a loud voice rang out through the loudspeaker on the train.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our first stop. Reading."

* * *

**Another chapter of this. And so the journey to the school begins. I honestly had a hard time finding a place to put the school. Corse Island was my original choice as I definitely wanted it on a large island. But I kept changing my mind, going from Hawaii to some islands in the Atlantic, Bermuda and even Antarctica for some reason. I even debated on whether to convert I-Island from the anime into the school's home. But I scrapped it all and went back to my original plan. In this chapter, we meet the rest of the applicants…some of them at least. More will begin to appear at the actual entrance exam. And I also included an aged up Eri too. I'm one to believe that Eri will also be taught by Aizawa since she lives with him now. Also, I have a slightly shitty explanation for how Aizawa's capture weapon works. The original theory isn't mine though, but I can't remember where I read it from. Credit goes to whoever came up with it originally. Essentially, every time Aizawa uses his Quirk, his hair floats up right? The theory was that Aizawa's Quirk also distorts small lightweight objects around him that aren't fixed to anything, like his capture weapon. Include practising how to fight with it and you basically get how it works now. My own personally head cannon is that Eri's Quirk does a similar thing and she uses the capture weapon as a Hero. Anyway, if you liked this chapter, leave a review why and I'll see you in the next update!  
**


	4. Chapter 4: Travel Issues

**Reading Station, Reading – 11:51 AM**

Despite not changing much over the last few decades, Reading station was still an impressive sight to behold. The old station had been renovated once again just a few years prior, having new escalators and stairs built on the platforms, made from the finest wood. The elevated concourse had also been enlarged to provide room for the increasing number of passengers that used the station. But that was the past now. The station was now a former shell of what it once was; the bustling trains no longer present at the rows of platforms that once held hundreds of passengers. Still, Kieran couldn't help but be amazed at the sight of the station every time he passed through.

"Wow, this place is huge" Amber said in amazement.

"It is" Kieran agreed, the train now slowing to a stop. A voice then came over the intercom of the carriage, letting the examinees know what was happening.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your guard speaking. We have now arrived at Reading. Please remain seated and do not exit the train as we will be coupling up additional carriages at the rear for those boarding here." A rumble echoed through the air and something passed the train over on the next track, dragging what appeared to be two carriages full of people towards the end of the train.

"Looks like they got everyone to board those carriages first to save time" Kieran mused.

"That makes sense" Amber agreed before turning towards him. "let's go sit back down in the carriage. I don't want to lose our seats." Kieran was a little apprehensive at first but soon agreed as he didn't want to spend the whole journey sitting on the floor. The two shuffled through the carriage, working their way back towards their original seats. Eddie, who was still sitting in the same place, noticed their return and growled angrily.

"I ought to kick your ass for what you said earlier" he growled at Kieran who just glared at him.

"Same also applies to me, but at least I don't kick up a fuss about it" Kieran retorted and sat down which only caused Eddie to growl even further. Kieran sat back in his spot by the window, ignoring the death stare that he received from Eddie as the additional carriages were coupled up. Not long afterwards, several more examinees came shuffling through the carriage, looking for places to sit down. Kieran didn't pay them any attention, he just stared out the window continuously as the train began to slowly depart the station. The train took an immediate left turn across the junction before continuing on down a small two tracked line. For the majority of the journey afterwards, many of the applicants soon began to chat with one another to make friends, save for Eddie and Kieran who ignored the commotion. Things only escalated when one kid started playing music out loud on his phone and everyone began to sing. Kieran huffed in annoyance but could slowly feel his eyelids become heavier as sleep called out to him. With one last look at the beautiful western countryside, Kieran shut his eyes and slowly made his way to dreamland.

* * *

**Plymouth Station, Plymouth – 2:38 PM **

Kieran jolted awake as Amber shook him for the fifth time.

"Wake up sleepy, we're here," she told him. Kieran let out a groan before rubbing his eyes and getting himself out of the seat. Most of the carriage had been emptied, save for the last few examinees gathering their possessions.

"Can't believe I slept through that whole journey" Kieran said in slight disbelief. While he normally slept during long journeys, he'd never fallen asleep that fast before.

"I can't either" Amber replied before handing him something. "Here, eat this. They were giving out food while you slept. I managed to save one." Kieran looked at the packet he held, seeing the tuna and cucumber sandwich inside. In an instant, Kieran tore off the packet and scoffed the entire thing down. He hadn't realised how hungry he'd been.

"Thank you," he said as he finished the first sandwich slice. Amber just smiled in response as the two made their way off the train, Kieran now eating the second sandwich slice. As soon as the pair reached the platform, they were swarmed by a crowd of examinees that were pushing and shoving to make their way to the station exit. The sun beat down on Kieran's skin as he gazed at the station sign, reading 'Plymouth' and not 'Penzance' where they should be. "I thought we were going to Penzance?" He asked Amber as they were then shoved and pushed through the crowd.

"We were, but there was a problem, so the boat is leaving from here now instead" Amber explained. Even after now reaching the station exit, the crowd was still pushing and shoving each other to get through. Kieran suddenly felt a grip on the back of his hoodie as he was yanked out of the crowd. He turned to face the hand's owner, surprised to see Eddie of all people standing there.

"You're coming with me," he said as he practically dragged Kieran away from the crowd. Kieran began to protest and was about to call for help but realised that there was no point as the pair were already quite a distance away from the crowd. "The boat doesn't leave until quarter past four, so we have plenty of time" Eddie explained as he walked ahead.

"Plenty time for what? Where the fuck are you taking me?" Kieran asked as he followed. He wasn't even sure why he was cooperating with this asshole, but it did intrigue him a little bit.

"It doesn't matter right now. I'll explain when we get there" was the answer he got.

"No, you won't" a new voice rang out that Kieran recognised. The two boys turned back to see Amber standing there with the small blonde boy from earlier and a tall lanky boy with a mop of brown hair and red eyes, covered head to toe in black clothing which was a hoodie not too dissimilar for Kieran's and black jeans. "You're wasting time right now. If we don't reach the port, we'll be stuck here" Amber continued.

"The port is only twenty minutes away from here. Besides, we're not going far" Eddie huffed as he continued to walk forwards, before then turning his head back slightly. "You can come too. I'd like an audience." With that, the boy continued walking while the rest followed in confusion.

* * *

**North Road West Dog Park, Plymouth – 2:50 PM**

True to his word, Eddie had only kept the group walking for a short while before arriving at their destination, a small park with a circular footpath running around it with trees covering the edge of the footpath. Eddie continued for a short bit before turning around to face Kieran.

"So, now will you tell me why we're here?" Kieran asked, standing in the centre of the circle. Eddie unzipped his coat which fell to the ground with a loud thump, now revealing the black jumper and white-collar underneath.

"Simple, we're going to fight" he answered. Kieran and the other's felt their jaws drop slightly at Eddie's statement.

"Why?!" Cried, Kieran. "What's the point?!"

"You piss me off" Eddie answered. "I told you I was going to kick your ass, and now I'm going to. Nobody speaks to me like that and lives." Kieran just groaned.

"Oh, for the love of…" He began as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Is he serious?" Amber asked, sweatdropping.

"I believe so" the small blonde replied, watching Eddie stretch his arms.

"This is stupid" the lanky boy commented.

"So you're just going to waste all of our time then? Fucking idiot" Kieran sighed as he got himself into a fighting stance. "But I'll go along with it. Anything to shut your-" He almost didn't have time to respond to Eddie's first strike as the battle began. The buzzcut had rushed him, thrusting his hand forward. However, several months of combat experience kicked in, and Kieran pivoted to the side, letting Eddie's palm fly past his shoulder. In an instant, Kieran grabbed the arm and prepared to throw Eddie over his shoulder and onto the ground. However, he found himself in a predicament.

"_Why are his arms so heavy? They're like a stack of bricks!"_ Was the thought that ran through his head as he prepared his flames. He didn't get a chance to focus in time as there was a loud smack and Kieran fell to his knees as the weight suddenly intensified. Not relenting one bit, Eddie raised both hands, bring them down on Kieran's shoulders hard as he chopped them. Kieran cried out in agony as the very ground beneath him broke apart due to the absurd weight placed upon it.

"Restraint, Release" Eddie said as he placed both hands together. Immediately afterwards, he gave Kieran a nasty kick in the ribs which sent the boy tumbling across the ground. The three spectators watched with their mouths agape over Eddie's advantage in the battle.

"What the hell was that?!" Amber cried in shock.

"What monstrous strength and speed" the blonde boy whispered while the lanky boy stayed quiet. "Just what kind of Quirk is that?" He then asked. Eddie just gave a smug smile.

"One you don't want to mess with."

**Name:**** Eddie Crest**

**Quirk:**** Hyper Gravity **

_Eddie's powerful Quirk allows him to increase the effect of gravity on an object or person by any amount by touching them. Using this, he can slow enemies by making it hard for them to move or allow his attacks to deal heavy damage. Additionally, by using his Quirk on himself, Eddie slowly trains his body to become stronger and faster by becoming used to increased amounts of gravity._

"Now you know not to mess with me you punk" Eddie continued. "You just showed up acting all cool and badass as well as mouthing me off in front of everyone. If you weren't an applicant, I'd send you straight to the centre of the earth for that." However, a fierce glow cut Eddie off before he could continue to insult Kieran. The glow was coming from Kieran himself, his body glowing a bright orange now. He didn't pay attention to Eddie as he got up, ignoring the searing pain in his ribs. Eddie gave a surprised look. He was sure he broke a rib. The kid should have been writing in pain. It was only when Kieran stared at him with his glowing eyes that Eddie felt an intense pressure overcome him that wasn't the result of his Quirk. A flaming orange aura soon burst out from Kieran's body as he stared his opponent down, them jumping back at the appearance of the flames. He could see it now, the passionate red flame that burnt inside Eddie's chest which burnt big and bright. Eddie meanwhile was now freaking out. He was beginning to think that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. He still didn't understand what this intense pressure was, only that it wasn't good.

He needed to end this now.

Unfortunately, Kieran made the first move, rushing quickly at him. Eddie thrusted his right palm forward once more, Aiming for Kieran's chest. Kieran ducked under it however and elbowed Eddie right in the solar plexus.

"_His speed increased. Why?"_ Eddie thought as he struggled to gather air. Kieran didn't relent however as he thrusted his own hand forward and incinerated Eddie's chest. Eddie cried out as flames licked at his skin. He sent a lightning fast punch forward, hitting Kieran square in the nose, not caring about burning his hand. The two combatants staggered back, blood gushing from Kieran's new wound while smoke trailed from the scorched remains of Eddie's shirt.

"This is insane!" Yelled Amber. "Those two will kill each other at this rate!" The small blonde couldn't help but agree with her. Both combatants had fairly powerful Quirks it seemed, Kieran, having flames while Eddie manipulated gravity. But both of them were close ranged attackers it seemed.

"That…all…you…got?" Kieran said between breaths. Eddie, also panting, smiled.

"Nope…I'm just getting…warmed…up" he replied.

"Funny, so am I" Kerian shot back. The flames around him suddenly intensified, and Kieran dashed at Eddie, who also ran at him. At the last moment before Kieran's fist could reach him, Eddie ducked down low and slid across the ground, slapping Kieran's left leg as he went past. Kieran's leg suddenly tripped in weight as he toppled over while Eddie clutched his singed hand, wincing in pain. The skin was raw red, burnt and blistered. Eddie turned to see Kieran struggling to get off of the ground. While it had taken some practice, Eddie had managed to teach himself how to single his Quirk's effects on a single body point, this case being Kieran's leg. With this distraction, Eddie rushed at Kieran who took no notice of the charging boy. This time, a smack on the head and Kieran's entire skull was dragged towards the ground in a flash, smashing violently against the dirt. He gritted his teeth as Eddie stood over him with a pained look on his face.

"Where did all that tough talk from earlier go?" Eddie said through gritted teeth. Kieran just let out an animalistic scream of rage as he thrashed about, flames now shooting everywhere. Eddie jumped back as the flames began to rage violently as Kieran arched his stomach upwards, trying to drag his stuck head off the ground. Eddie and the spectators stared in wonder as the aura charged from a brilliant orange colour to a furious red. And slowly, Kieran's head began to rise off the ground. Inch, by inch, getting higher and higher.

"That's impossible! You shouldn't be able to move!" Eddie cried out. Despite using a small amount of gravity, approximately three times higher than Earth's own gravity, no one aside from himself should be able to move with that kind of force. Kieran was too busy thinking about other things rather than his newfound ability to defy gravity. The exhaustion was kicking in the big time now. He had really pushed himself too far now. Kieran just about managed to get his body up halfway before receiving a vicious kick to the back of the head. Kieran felt his entire body fly forwards as he landed on his front hard, the gravity seemingly disappearing now. The flames extinguished themselves as Kieran laid there pathetically, fatigue beginning to take over. Despite managing to kill a Nomu just the other day, he couldn't take on a single kid his age now. He felt pathetic and weak like always.

"_You disobedient brat! I will not tolerate weakness! Stand up! Prove you are worthy of the power you've been gifted with!"_

"It's not a gift…" Kieran muttered to himself as he struggled to stand. "It's a fucking curse." He was back on his feet again now, despite the fatigue. If anything, he had about a minute or so left before falling unconscious again. "However…" He turned back towards Eddie his eyes glowing.

"It's my curse."

The red flames from before erupted out of his body, his opponent shielding himself from the intense heat that he put out. The wind whipped around his body as the flames greedily swallowed up all the available oxygen in the area. Eddie unshielded his eyes, now gawking at the sight before him. Despite being battered and bruised, Kieran stood there with an unflinching and icy cold glare that burned itself deep in Eddie's mind. That pressure was back. That cursed overwhelming pressure on his body that was neither the weights nor the gravity of his Quirk. It was Kieran himself. The body emitted a kind of pressure that sent shivers down one's spine. It was a pressure that Eddie was familiar with, a sick awful feeling.

He was afraid.

He was afraid of losing. His reputation, his pride, his family's recognition. All of it would be gone if he gave in now.

"You think you're tough?! Come on then! Let's see what you got!" Eddie roared before charging at his adversary. Kieran didn't reply but did the same thing, flames gathered in his palm.

"Stop!" Amber cried. They were going to kill each other with this next attack, no doubt about it. The lanky boy standing near her went to raise his hand.

"Ok! That's enough!" A voice called out. Several white bandages came surging from behind the group, entangling themselves around both Kieran and Eddie who were then slammed into the ground. All heads turned towards the figure walking towards them, being none other than Dominic who held the bandages tightly in his hands. The flames around Kieran immediately extinguished themselves as fatigue suddenly began to set in. Dominic could only sigh as he watched Kieran's eyes flicker, him struggling to stay awake. "For goodness sake. It's only been a day and you're already causing trouble" he sighed before turning to Eddie. "As for you, I won't give you a punishment but you of all people should know better than this" he scolded.

"He started it" Eddie accused.

"And I don't care" Dominic answered, now walking over to Kieran. He poked his hand on Kieran's body for a bit, stopping when Kieran suddenly woke up screaming in pain. "Yep, broken rib" Dominic concluded as the bandages began to unravel themselves. "There's a medic at the port. We'll carry the pair of you over there to get assessed and healed" Dominic explained.

"What do you mean 'we'" the lanky boy asked. Dominic turned towards him.

"I can't carry the pair myself. I'll need your help to carry them over to the ship" Dominic explained to them. The boy just groaned as Amber walked over to Dominic.

"He's right you know," she said. "We've got to help them."

"Your problem, not mine," the lanky boy said as he turned and walked away.

"Do you even know where the port is?" Amber asked him. The boy then froze mid-step, realising his mistake. He turned back towards them; a small smile plastered on his face.

"So…which one am I going to be carrying?" He asked.

"You can help Eddie here. The rest will help me carry Kieran" Dominic explained as the group set to work. The lanky boy and smaller boy helped Eddie up, his arms over their shoulders. Dominic meanwhile carried Kieran on his back with support from Amber from behind, just in case Kieran fell backwards. A long walk later, and the group finally reach the port. Sitting calmly in the water was their mode of transport, a large white ferry that was almost as large as a cruise ship. A woman soon came running over. He hair was a short sunny blonde colour that fit well with her emerald green eyes. She wore a simple button up shirt that hugged her large busty chest and slender body. Additionally, she wore a black tie and matching black frilly skirt with black knee-high socks and shoes.

"Dominic! You brought me more playthings~" the woman said in a cheerful tone. A shiver ran down all except Dominic's spine as he greeted the woman.

"I have unfortunately Maria. A few ruffians decided to muck around after arriving" he explained, gesturing to Eddie and the unconscious Kieran on his back.

"I see then," Maria said, stroking her chin knowingly. "Don't you worry one bit. I'll be able to patch them up _real good._" Another shiver shook through the group as Maria gestured to a line of several makeshift beds, some of which held applicants on them Each bed appeared to have a curtain around it to conceal those inside it. "There's a problem with the boat's engine, so I'm just taking care of any sick or injured currently." Dominic sighed in annoyance.

"Things just never want to go our way, don't they?" He deadpanned. "New plan everyone. We're going to leave the boys with Maria here. Then you'll all have to wait around for a bit till we can on board." The group then left the two boys on a pair of empty beds and walked away while Maria closed the curtains, ready to get to work.

"Will they be ok?" Amber asked, unsure about the supposed doctor that would be healing them.

"Trust me," Dominic said. "Maria is an expert in the field of medical practice, the pair of them are in good hands." No sooner those words had left Dominic's mouth, an ear-piercing scream rocketed through the air. The entire group focused their attention on the closed curtains of Kieran's bed, the screaming coming from him. The curtains shook viciously as a silhouette madly worked from behind them. Amber shuddered as the screaming echoed throughout the port, sending shivers down her spine. At long last, the screaming stopped instantly, the silence coming like a thunderclap. The curtains were undrawn, and a smiling Maria walked out from behind them, leaving a traumatised Kieran behind her.

"I highly doubt they're all right," Amber said, sweatdropping.

"Would you believe me if I told you that she's only just graduated two years ago?" Dominic said, another round of screams now filling the air; this time from Eddie.

"So she's a rookie then?" The Lanky boy replied, having waited for the screaming to stop.

"Kind of. But she's got the skills to be the next Recovery Girl" Dominic explained, catching the group by surprise. That was a shocker. The late Recovery Girl had been a legendary medic from Japan, having been U.A. High Schools sole nurse in their infirmary. She had healed countless people in her past, and if not for her, the death toll from several deadly events in the past would have been much higher. The entire world mourned the loss off a great and wonderful Hero. "Still…" the Lanky boy began. "She doesn't seem to have the attitude for the role." Dominic smiled.

"You haven't known her as long as I have, trust me." With that, Dominic walked over to Kieran who lay motionless in his bed. His clothes were gone, save for his underwear as they had been removed by Maria who had performed her 'surgery' on him. "Maria's quite fast isn't she?" Dominic teased as he drew the curtains while Kieran slowly turned his head.

"She was smiling," he said in a hollow voice. "She was enjoying that torture."

"I'm afraid that's just how she is," Dominic said as he took off the backpack he was wearing.

"You're all fucking psychopaths" Kieran grunted. Dominic chuckled as he threw a pile of clothes onto the makeshift bed.

"Put these on. You'll need some new gear for the exam considering your other stuff is falling apart." At this comment, Kieran shot a sharp glance over his former clothes lying on the ground, taking note of the several scorch marks and holes in them.

"Fair point" he agreed as he began to sit up, wincing in pain as he felt his new ribs shift inside his chest.

"Just take it easy now and rest. You're going to need plenty of it for the entrance exam" Dominic stated as he went to leave, stopping as he was halfway out the curtains. "I almost forgot; those new clothes have fire retardant fabric woven into them. They should be able to last longer."

"When did you even make these?" Kieran asked.

"On the train up here. I figured you were going to incinerate your clothes anyway, so I made a precaution" Dominic explained. Without another word, Dominic left Kieran to himself as the boy stared at his new clothes. They were all black with a few white lines thrown into them. Shrugging, Kieran got out of the bed and threw on the new clothes instantly. A perfect fit. These new clothes were a pair of black Nike tracksuit bottoms with a white line running down the legs and a plain white tic. Additionally, He now had a matching Nike jacket that was black in colour with a white zip and white lines running along the sleeves. Kieran was surprised to see a pre quirked brand as the choice of clothing. He never expected Nike of all things, but it worked for him. Unzipping the jacket, revealing his white t-shirt underneath, Kieran opened the curtains and walked out. He spotted Amber and the other two boys instantly. Amber and the smaller boy were chatting while the lanky one just stood there listening. It was then the trio noticed Kieran walking up to them and Amber couldn't help but smile.

"Having a change of style? Gotta say that isn't a bad look for you" Amber commented. Kieran felt himself blush slightly at the comment.

"Umm, thanks" he answered. He wasn't used to receiving a positive comment like that. "They're fire retardant, so I don't have to worry about burning them."

"Where'd you even get them? Was it that operative?" Amber asked, referring to Dominic.

"Yeah. Apparently, he made them on the train to give to me" Kieran explained. "Still, why is he helping me so much though?"

"You're probably his favourite out of all of us, what with a flashy Quirk like that," the lanky boy said with a somewhat irritated tone.

"Possibly" Kieran replied, not missing the boy's slightly angry expression. "Didn't catch your name anyway."

"That's cause I didn't give it" the boy simply replied before walking away. "And I don't intend to. This was a waste of my time."

"Well he was friendly" Amber commented.

"Too right" Kieran agreed before turning to the smaller blonde boy. "You gonna join him or hang with us for a bit?"

"Not sure. I'll probably stick with you, to be honest. Most people here just seem to be rude" he answered. "I'm Benjamin by the way, but just stick to Ben if need be."

"Kieran" Kieran introduced before motioning to Amber. "And that's Amber."

"Hey! I can introduce myself you know" Amber huffed in annoyance.

"It's fine," Benjamin said, raising his hands. "Nice to meet you two by the way." There was a sound of a whistle being blown and the trio turned their heads towards the source, it coming from Dominic blowing a whistle. He currently stood on top of a bench, all eyes and ears tuned into him.

"Can I get your attention please?! We will begin boarding soon, so please make your way across the dock to the boat and board from there. A gangway will be provided for you to use! Thank you!" With that said, Dominic jumped down from the bench and made his way over to Maria.

"Well then, I'm going to get moving if you don't mind," Benjamin said. Kieran and Amber looked at him confused slightly. "All the best cabins will be taken first, so I want to make sure I can get one."

"Oh, I see," Kieran said in sudden realisation. It made sense after all. Benjamin then turned and began to walk off. "I'll probably see you around, good luck!" With a wave, Benjamin was off. Kieran smiled before turning to Amber. "We should go too. He is right about the rooms." Amber nodded in agreement as the pair moved off. The sound of the crowd had grown louder as all the applicants converged towards the boat. Kieran couldn't help but feel slightly excited. People went to and fro, loading luggage while students began to move off in their makeshift groups of old and new friends. The seagulls chirped and the waves splashed. He had a feeling that this was going to be good.

"It's kind of exciting a bit," Amber said, feeling the exact same way Kieran did. "Everybody getting together for the entrance exam I mean. Makes me feel a bit competitive."

"Yeah" agreed Kieran. "This feels like the final frontier before it starts. Plus everyone seems to be sizing each other up, looking to see who would be the easy small fry not to worry about." He managed to catch the glances of a few interesting people, specifically one black haired boy in a very old-fashioned black trench coat. He looked like he had walked directly out of Victorian times with his outfit. The same could be said for his associate, a dirty blonde-haired girl who looked like she had come from the 1940s with her white shirt and black straps around them. The pair locked eyes with each other for a second before the boy turned away. A strange feeling bubbled inside of Kieran, a feeling of familiarity which appeared for a second before disappearing. However, an even worse feeling bubbled inside him when he reached the bottom of the gangway. As he did, the group of applicants all parted to make way for a tall boy around 6ft and long dark hair. He wore a simple aqua green T-shirt with images of three yellow stars on the right side and black cargo trousers. Additionally, he sported several gold and silver bracelets of varying designs that ran up both arms as well as a pair of silver cross earrings. The pair locked eyes with each other, the pair's red eyes gazing deeply into each other's eyes, trying hard to understand whether they were friend or foe. At last, the boy huffed and continued up the gangway, the rest of the crowd following.

"What the hell happened there?" Amber asked.

"I have no idea. All I know is that guy is trouble" Kieran answered, making his way up the gangway. These were going to be a long few weeks.

* * *

**St Martin Cruise Ship, Plymouth – 4:10 PM **

It had taken some time, but Kieran was now stood on the ship's side, overlooking the sea as it began to leave port. The time for boarding had taken so long that an announcement stating anyone without a water, teleportation, or flying Quirk would be left behind. This had gotten the applicants moving at last. Kieran had also managed to find a cabin, both him and Amber. She was on the other end of the boat, unfortunately. The loud horn echoing through the ship signalled its departure as Kieran felt the floor beneath him shift as the ship moved out towards the open ocean. The calls of seagulls filled the air as the wind blew at his unzipped jacket. Kieran sucked in a heavy breath.

It was peaceful.

For the first time in his life, he didn't feel on edge at all. He felt calm and relaxed, despite what had happened earlier. Why he even agreed to fight Eddie, he had no clue. It was a stupid decision. One that resulted in a broken rib, third-degree burns and torn muscles. But there was a plus side to the whole mess. He had gained some level of control. He had no idea what it was, a mental restraint being broken perhaps? Either way, his flames had changed. They had gone from orange to red for some reason, gifting him with newfound strength.

"Hey!" Kieran snapped away from his train of thought, turning to Amber who was walking along the deck to meet him.

"Hey" he responded quietly.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Amber huffed.

"Takes one to know one" Kieran quipped back, a sly grin forming on his face while Amber just frowned. "How's 'his majesty' doing?"

"Apart from losing his shit over almost getting kicked out the exam, fine I believe" Amber responded. Kieran just huffed and looked back out towards the ocean. "I'll state again, you're an idiot. Why did you even agree to fight him?"

"Dunno. Probably just wanted to shut him up" Kieran said. "It was a stupid idea though. Can't believe I even went through with it."

"I can't either. You almost killed each other. Don't scare me like that again" Amber told him.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Kieran asked. He was starting to get annoyed. Just what was it with this girl? What did she even want?

"Because…we're friends," Amber said, her face becoming hotter. Was she…sweating? Her throat began to dry up as words began to jumble around in her brain. God, what was she even doing?

"You think of us as…friends?" Kieran asked, feeling heat rush to his face. Was his quirk acting up again? Kieran fought for control as the heat continued to rise. He stared at Amber for the longest time, fixating on her brilliant golden eyes. Those beautiful eyes…

"I suppose you could say that…" Amber said, snapping Kieran back to reality. "You just seemed like an interesting person to talk to."

"Oh, um…thanks" he replied. He didn't have any idea on how to respond. For the first time, he actually had someone who liked to talk with him. Admittedly, it was a little weird, but he liked it none the less. Silence followed before Kieran finally spoke up again. "I should…get back to my room. Dominic told me that I need frequent rests."

"O-oh" Amber said, slightly sad. "I guess I'll see you around then?"

"I…guess?" Kieran responded. The two stood in silence once more before Kieran muttered a quiet goodbye and walked away, his cheeks burning. That was real smooth of him. Why was he such a fucking idiot at times?! Kieran just wanted to smack himself hard in the face. No wonder he struggled to make friends with others, he was horrific at socialising. As he walked away, Amber couldn't help but stare, a small smile appearing on her face. She remembered that night very well. Her cage. Those horrific men. The Flames. The screams. The boy with red eyes who melted the bars away. She was surprised he didn't recognise her. But it had been over a year and a lot had happened. But she could never forget those eyes. Those cold and calm eyes of the boy who saved her from a life as nothing but a tool for the pleasure of other men. A pleasure that made her gag at times. A text alarm from her phone alerted her and Amber fished through her pockets to find the device. She brought the device up to her face, frowning at the sight of the message. With that, Amber turned and walked back to her cabin. These were going to be a long few weeks indeed.

* * *

**Midoryia Household, Musutafu – 00:10 AM **

"Are you finished yet Midoriya?" Kasai asked. He currently stood outside Shin's bedroom in Inko's small apartment. After the outbreak had been cleared up, the pair had been sent to retrieve their belongings from their homes. Kasai's was easy as his home had been spared the destruction like much of Musutafu, but Shin's was a little more difficult. Inko's apartment laid right on the edge of the destruction that had been caused. She hadn't been there thankfully when the outbreak spread through the city as she had gone to find Toshinori. The family had to wait until all the Nomu had been disposed of before they could return to their home. Shin now was currently packing a bag in preparation for the long journey ahead as well as his new living space that he would have at the academy. He stared at the book he held in his hands.

Costume Support: Volume 2

Handwritten by his brother several years ago to test ideas for his ever-evolving Quirk. His father had suggested that he take it. Shin scoffed. Like he needed Izuku's help. He'd do just fine on his own. He was sick of been seen in his shadow. He'd become a great hero that would surpass his brother as well as find him. Shin refused to believe Izuku had gone and kicked the bucket. That man was out there somewhere. While he didn't have anything against Izuku himself, the idea of been seen as the number one's failure of a brother was quite insulting. He was always seen as less as Izuku would be there, standing in the spotlight while Shin retreated into the shadows. Not anymore. The spotlight was his now. "Midoriya! Let's get moving!" The voice of Kasai came again. Shin gave one last look at the book before shoving it into his bag. Screw it. It was one of the few things that Izuku had left behind. Besides, he could salvage some ideas that Izuku never ended up using.

"I'm coming Todoroki!" Shin called as he made his way to the door.

"Finally," Kasai huffed as Shin walked out. "Leonardo was starting to get impatient with you."

"Well that's too bad" Shin replied. "I had to get my stuff ready so he can wait."

"Except we're running out of time." Shin jumped at the new voice, it being none other than Leonardo who spoke. "We don't know if there are any more Nomu that will be outside. Additionally, we cannot travel by plane the entire journey. So to make it in time we need to be quick."

"I-I understand. Sorry" Shin apologised.

"It's fine, but we must move quickly" Leonardo explained. The group finally left the apartment and was soon out of the complex. The plan was to fly to Western China, avoiding as many large cities as possible. From there on out, it was just sneaking through all other countries until they reached Europe. That would be a challenging task, to say the least. The journey to the airport was slightly awkward. No small talk was made on the way up. Toshinori, Inko and Enji had accompanied the group to say their goodbyes. Dabi, unfortunately, had to stay behind to help the rest of the Endeavor Agency with clean up duty. Having arrived, the group was now stood by a small white plane by the terminal. They needed to be discreet, so this was the best option. Shin hugged both his parents tightly as Inko began to cry.

"Please take care of yourself, sweetie. I want you back here in one piece, understood?" She said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Don't worry mom, I won't die. And I won't break myself into pieces like Izuku did either" Shin told her with a smile. Toshinori couldn't help but feel bad at this. Though Izuku finally had mastered One For All, it was only through his own ingenuity and guidance from the late Gran Torino that he had been able to understand how it functioned. He wanted to kick himself at times for that.

"_Izuku, I'm sorry for being such a failure of a mentor. I wanted you to outlive me, but instead, it's the reverse" _Toshinori thought to himself before Shin turned to him, having finished taking with his mother.

"Shin, I wish you good luck with your future studies and the entrance exam. A few bits of advice continue to train your body to withstand the power of your Quirk, and use it at a lower power output through your body than summoning it at one point. Izuku made that mistake first and it hindered his development slightly."

"Thank you dad," Shin said, pulling him into a hug. "I'll make you proud."

"I know you will" Toshinori replied, Inko now joining in on the hug. There was a cough and the family broke off their hug, turning to see Leonardo waiting there impatiently.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we're on a tight schedule and we must leave immediately," he said. Shin let go of his parents and moved over to the steps leading into the plane.

"Tell Kota I said goodbye," Shin said. Both parents nodded as they proudly watched their son leave. It would be hard without him, but this was his dream. It was only fair to let him go. Kasai was already at the steps waiting for Shin, having already said goodbye to his grandfather.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Shin gave a confident smile and nodded, signalling he was ready. The pair walked up the steps and into the plane, waving to their parents as they did so. The group moved back as the plane's engine spluttered into life, the propeller whirring loudly which sent a hum through the air. It rolled out onto the runway, the two boys waving from the windows as it prepared to gather speed. With a mighty roar and lots of effort, the plane broke free from gravity and lifted off high into the air, becoming nothing but a flashing white spec in the distance not long afterwards.

"Toshi, do you think Shin really will be ok?" Inko asked worriedly. Despite changing her mind, she still had many doubts. Toshinori turned to his wife smiling.

"Of course, you need to trust in him" He began, then turning back to the sky where the plane had disappeared. "For our sake and everyone else's. The future is now in their hands."

* * *

**Ah good lord. I finally got this out. I really didn't like writing this chapter, but for continuity's sake, I had to. Kinda wishing I skipped straight to the entrance exam now XD. Too late now anyway. But at least it's all set up for the next chapter in which will cover the beginning of the exams which should come out relatively quickly since I have mostly everything planned out already. Overall, glad I got this finished even if I rewrote it about 3 times XD. Anyway, Eddie's Quirk is revealed, Kieran does things and new characters are introduced. That's about all from me. Expect the entrance exam in the next chapter as I **_**finally **_**get to write it. Prior warning as things are going to get really dark and gory up ahead. Will place a warning for those chapters at the start probably, maybe not Anyway! I'm rambling now so I'll leave you all be. Thanks for reading this chapter and if you enjoyed it then leave a review why and I'll see you all in the next update!**


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